Amourshipping Return to the Different Dimension
by Templars74
Summary: A sequel to my Youtube fanfiction series; Ash & Serena have been transported to the home of their old friends The Guardian Titans can Ash & Serena save their old friends and both of their worlds from destruction? Find out in Return to the Different Dimension... You can also follow this story on my Youtube channel link in profile I recommend following both for the full experience
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:  
Phenomena  
I love you Ash; Serena says as she turns to face her childhood crush now husband; Ash then turns to face Serena as he starts to loose himself in his wife's blue eyes still in shock over what just happened; between almost getting "bested" by his and Serena's own son Kenny as well as the departure of his & Serena's friends the legendary guardian titans. As the two of them stand there in a moment of silence the young couple then begin to wonder in their minds what they are going to do next but; As Ash & Serena continue their moment alone Serena grows concerned as Ash continues to stand there without acknowledging her in the slightest. After another second of contemplating what to ask Ash, Serena then mutters out her question in a very concerned tone of voice; what's wrong Ashy? After hearing the nickname Serena came up with him years ago Ash finally snaps out of it and finally addressed Serena. Just wondering what we're going to do next Serena? He says as he starts rubbing the back of his head letting out a nervous chuckle as he sees Serena's facial expression lighten up and change to a look Ash knows all too well. Serena then extends her arm out to grab Ash's hand from behind his head and brings his arm back down as she lightly grasps his hand. Once that was done Serena then leans her head onto Ash's shoulder and says to him; "We can worry about that tomorrow Ashy but for now let's go inside and have some fun." Ash then leans over and kisses Serena on her forehead as she leads him back inside their home. Ash & Serena then continue up to the front steps of their house and walk into the now quiet front foyer greeted by Ash & Serena's favorite picture of them Kenny & Kate taken just before Kate left home to study the art of Performing so she could be just like her mother. Sure is quiet isn't it Serena? Ash asks as he feels Serena's grip tighten on his hand; Yeah but its okay Ash after all now it's just us. After feeling Serena loosening her hold on his hand he turns to look her in the face and notices that sly, playful face of hers has returned; and after a second Ash felt a shiver down his spine as Serena whispers in his ear "Now just wait right here Ashy and I'll be back in a couple minutes with your surprise." Speechless Ash just nods to Serena as she starts to giggle at Ash's action she then watches Ash walk over to the couch as she walks upstairs to change. After a couple minutes Serena came down the stairs wearing her white robe and comes down the stairs "I thought you might like my little surprise." She said as she walked over to him and kissed him. She then helped him out of his clothes. She stepped back and took a moment to look at him standing there in his boxers as he had done to her when he first walked in. She saw his slender yet toned body that came from wandering the world on foot. She saw his arms that weren't particularly eye-catching yet when he hugged her she could feel that they were strong and that she would always be safe when wrapped in them. Eventually Ash ran out of patience as he always did and went over to her and picked her up and kissed her, she wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him back. Serena then whispers into Ash's ear "come on Ashy let's head upstairs and have some fun."

The Following Morning:  
Morning sweetie Serena yawns out as she feels Ash's arms still wrapped around her; and after a couple seconds Serena hears a reply from a yawning Ash morning Serena. After a few minutes of cuddling with Ash; Serena finally broke the silence; "so did you figure out what to do next Ashy?" Serena then felt Ash letting go of her and before she could even rollover in bed to look at Ash he was already gone. Once Serena realized what had just happened and that she obviously upset him; Serena begins to feel bad as she gets up and follows Ash downstairs shouting in hopes Ash would hear her; "Ash wait come back I'm sorry!"

Meanwhile in an Unknown location in Alola:  
Here it is!; Exclaims A now rain soaked Daniel as he removes his hat from over his blue hair; The legendary dimensional portal stone that "windbag of a scientist" Garmadon kept preaching about! after finishing this thought Daniel then pulls out his flashlight from his pocket and begins running his light up & down the stone in front of him; According to what Garmadon said this stone acts as a gateway from our world to the dimensional plains where those "hot-shot" Ash & Serena's guardian titans came from. To think the ability to call out their kind once more and achieve power is now at my fingertips... as Daniel continues boasting he is now completely unaware of a group of stranger's presence right behind him. Their leader then speaks to Daniel from below his cloak "We'd like to thank you for finding what we've been searching decades for!" This voice then catches Daniels attention as he turns to face this group and responds; "And who are you supposed to be?" The man then speaks again "We are the order of light; and with this stone located; our mission to purge this dimension is one step closer to completion.

Back with Ash & Serena in Domino:  
There you are Ash; Serena says in a tone of both worry and a hint of upset; you know I didn't mean to upset you Ash. Ash looks up to Serena's face the one he fell in love with and stands up to hug her; Serena confused by this but not resisting Ash in anyway just wraps her arms around him as she begins to hear him whisper into her ear; "I know you didn't mean to Serena, actually I owe you an apology I didn't mean to upset you!" Serena while still in Ash's arms just smiles obviously content with Ash's apology although she wasn't even mad at him. Serena then comes up with an idea of her own; "Ash I've got an idea why don't you & I travel back to Pallet Town after all I know that you always have your best ideas when we're away from this crazy place, besides I'm sure you're friends and Pokemon, would all love to see you again Ash then smiles and does something that always hard for him to do; pull away from Serena as he stares her in the face once more. "That's a great idea Serena; thank you; you always know what to say to relax me and make me smile!" Hearing Ash's complement causes Serena to smile and blush at Ash who she loves and Serena also realized that she obviously completed her mission of cheering Ash up and get him out of his rut!  
Back in an Unknown location in Alola:  
Who the hell are you Daniel exclaims as he's being throw to the ground by the stranger that managed to get the drop on him. Daniel's attacker just ignores him as he pulls a pen shaped device out of his pocket; and goes after him with it as he shouts to him "you've out lived your usefulness kid" as the robed attackers device makes contact with Daniel causing a burst of energy to release into him killing the blue haired teen instantly! After his task was complete the robed man turns his attention back to the stone once more. "it's finally time" the gentleman says to himself as he slams the device that just killed Daniel onto the stone and shouts now merge your dimension with ours destroy our enemies and purge this world clean! After making this request he becomes blinded by a white light, but outside the cave the skies begin to darken as a strange phenomenon occurs in the clouds. Little would anyone guess though that this "light show" is about to signal an oncoming war.  
Back with Ash & Serena in Domino:  
Ready to go Ashy? Serena asks Ash as they stand on the steps to enter their helicopter to fly back to Kanto; I sure am Ash answers as he grabs her hand and walks with her up the steps into the chopper. After a few minutes the young couple is now sitting in their seats still grasping each other's hands as their pilot notices a strange light pattern up in the sky the very same one triggered in the Alola region. This then causes not just their pilot but Ash & Serena to look at the sky with just as much if not more confusion...  
Back in an Unknown location in Alola:  
Now merge your dimension with ours destroy our enemies and purge this world clean! After making this request he becomes blinded by a white light, but outside the cave the skies begin to darken as a strange phenomenon occurs in the clouds. Now I the Grand master of the order of light command you release one of your own now! As the grand master makes his request a blue dragon better known to Ash & Serena as "Dragonus the Watcher Guardian" to be dragged from the guardian titans dimension back into theirs. Now ordinarily seeing a guardian titan would strike fear into anyone but not the grand master who just smirks and gives his signal; "NOW" this que signals the other two members of the order of light to fire a device straight at Dragonus this machine also produces chains powerful enough to contain & control the watcher guardian. Seeing this sight causes the grand master to have a laugh thanks to our equipment no one knows we're here so struggle all you like! Realizing his options are limited causes the watcher guardian to come to a decision; "fine I'll cooperate with you just don't hurt my brothers!" This pleases the grand master as he once again gives him his demand now Dragonus merge our dimensions and create our utopia. This causes Dragonus who is still chained down to become angry once more "YOU BASTARD" "I knew humans can't be trusted but wait!" Dragonus' rage actually sparks a memory a memory of the only two humans Dragonus knows can be trusted the ones his brothers fought alongside with so long ago; "that's it Ash & Serena if anyone can get us out of the mess we're in it them, but I'll have to be subtle in how I tip them off." Dragonus then looks down at the grandmaster and says to himself "Have your laugh Ash & Serena will save us all!"

Back with Ash & Serena in Domino:  
What is going on Ash & Serena ask their pilot as the three of them continue looking at the strange light phenomenon going on in the skies above. Their pilot unsure of what's going on himself answers the young couple; "I don't know but it shouldn't be a problem though!" Serena hearing this looks over to Ash causing the two of them to share another smile and give their pilot the "green light" to go ahead and take off. As their chopper takes off Serena reaches down once more to grab Ash's hand. After a few hours of flight however their pilot looks down at their navigation and could tell something was "Very wrong!" This doesn't make sense their pilots statement quickly catches Ash & Serena's attention as they ask their pilot what's going on; their pilot then tries to explain well according to this we're now flying over Alola! This revelation defiantly catches Ash & Serena off guard; "Alola but that's nowhere near Kanto" the two of them say in unison! Their pilot who has had 10 years of flight experience is just as amazed as Ash & Serena gives the two of them his honest opinion; "I don't know but maybe we should land until this is over." Ash & Serena hear this suggestion and with neither of them having no real experience in aviation decide to follow their pilot's instructions as they come in for approach on Alola.

A/N: Hey everyone Templars74 here hope you all enjoyed Chapter one of this story! This one is arguably one of my personal favorites so I hope you all enjoy it too! This is a sequel to my YouTube Amourshipping Fanfiction Series; This story is also being done on my channel in Youtube form as well "although Youtube version will be toned down" but I do recommend both to get the "full experience" Have a great day everyone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Disappearance  
Unknown Location Alola Region:  
They're here I can feel it Dragonus says to himself as he senses Ash & Serena's arrival in Alola, but also begins to feel pain from the chains around his claws & wings continue to dig into his skin. While his captors continue to set up trucks of equipment which Dragonus is sure will be used to achieve their objective but right now all Dragonus can do is watch and wait as he feels his energy draining away from him.  
Mili Mili Island Alola Region with Ash & Serena:  
As Ash & Serena continue their stroll down the sidewalk taking in the sights as they wait for the "strange phenomenon" to end so they can head back to Pallet Town as they were originally planning to do? Serena then turns to Ash and smiles at him and decides to break the silence "well at least we get to spend some time at the beach huh Ashy?" Serena's question then snaps Ash out of his "trance" as he turns to her and says in a very quiet tone "yeah" however; after muttering his one word response Ash begins to think to himself about what is going on and why?" and as Ash's mind wonders he doesn't notice Serena heading onto the beach he only notices this when he hears Serena calling out to him; "Aren't you going to join me Ash?" Serena's question manages to snap Ash out of it as he goes to join Serena on the beach.  
Later That Day on Mele Mele Island with Ash & Serena:  
See Ash wasn't that fun Serena asks Ash with a coy smile on her face as they continue exploring Mele Mele island, Ash looks at Serena and smiles at her before answering her by telling her; "It sure was Serena" as the two of them continue their stroll they were interrupted by a pink & black bear rustling out of the bushes,. Remembering past interactions with this pokemon in particular Ash was quick to inform Serena to run away from it as he runs towards her, but Serena's clumsiness which always picks the most in-opportune times to show itself as she trips on a tree root and falls to the ground as Beware begins to close in on her. As Serena sits there frozen with terror as Ash continues to call out her name in concern Serena hears a strange yet familiar voice as it calls to her "Don't just sit there silly remember just like us you rule the guardian titans!" Serena still confused over this hears a second familiar voice calling to her "You can use the Sky Guardian just by calling his name!" after hearing the instructions given to her, Serena figures what could she possibly have to lose as she stands and says in a very assertive voice states; "Oh no you don't Osiris appear now!" and just like that Serena's command causes the sky to darken and lightning to strike the ground as a dark blue dragon descends from the clouds. The legendary guardian of the sky Osiris as Ash just stands there in awe at the sight of his & Serena's old friend returning; Serena commands this legendary dragon to use thunder force to attack Beware, which Osiris does with extreme effectiveness. Unknown to Ash & Serena however; Osiris hears his brother Dragonus calling out to him telepathically "Please..." before Osiris gets a chance to react to this his body begins the process of returning back to his home on the dimensional plain. After Osiris' departure Serena is surprised by Ash coming to her & hugging her as he compliments her "Serena that was amazing; how did you do that?" Ash's question causes a moment of silence from Serena however; as not even she knows the Answer. After asking Serena this question all Ash received was a couple minutes of silence and Serena whispering "I don't know Ash... I don't know..." Hearing this response from Serena was strange to Ash but he decided not to push it; instead he offers Serena his hand to help her up while a girl dressed in an all-white outfit comes walking up to them and addresses them "Ash... Serena..." Ash & Serena responded to their friend; "hey Lillie what's going on?" this causes a look of confusion on lilies face because she assumed that Ash & Serena were here for the same reason she was so Lillie goes ahead and asks; "Aren't you two here to check out the weird stuff going on?" Lillie's question confused Ash & Serena because they hadn't heard of anything "Strange" going on but they both saw Lillie face palm herself as Lillie points up to the strange light pattern in the sky and says "that; when that light appeared in the sky all kinds of weird things started happening!" Lillie's statement immediately caught Serena's attention as she began to get a "feeling" in her gut Serena couldn't place the feeling but she was almost certain that what's happening in Alola was connected to her & Ash's experiences over the last couple of days." Going off of this feeling Serena leans over to Ash and tells Ash "I want to stay and look into this Ash!" Ash was obviously surprised by Serena's request as he whispers back to her so Lillie couldn't over hear "Are you sure Serena?" Serena doesn't give a verbal answer she just nods to Ash as he whispers to her; "Okay Serena we'll stay besides I'd kind of like to see how the league is operating anyway!" Now knowing what her and Ash we're going to do Ash & Serena are interrupted by Lillie; "I'll show you what exactly what's going on if you like!" Ash & Serena then turn to the Alola native and except her offer as the three of them begin to head into the mountains. After what seemed like days of walking to the three of them Ash notices Serena is beginning to grow tired and allows the honey haired performer to lean on him but after climbing the incline staring at the green & yellow pulsating lights in the sky Ash, Serena and, Lillie hear a rustling coming from the bushes fearing that this may be an ambush Ash didn't take any chances with Serena's safety & figuring he could do the same thing Serena did with Osiris' Ash calls for; The Guardian of The Sun; Phoenix Dragon! After Ash's call the sky begins to darken once again as an orange glow envelops the area as Phoenix Dragon arrives. Never seeing anything like this before Lillie just looks to the sky in terror as she frantically asks her friends. What is that thing?  
Meanwhile in an Unknown Location; Alola Region:  
Okay what's the deal "ruler why haven't you merged our dimensions? The grandmaster asks of Dragonus as he continues to be held down by the chains binding him to the ground. Rather than tell the grandmaster what he wants to know Dragonus instead offers a sarcastic come back "If you're so smart you tell me human." Dragonus' response clearly infuriated the grandmaster which was obvious by how he responded to Dragonus. "Well then I'll force you to cooperate!" The grandmasters threat obviously got Dragonus nervous as he asks his captures; "What are you?" The grandmaster however is a believer in the old saying "Actions speak louder than words" so he just turns to one of his assistants who throws a switch on the device they're using to hold Dragonus which causes a high voltage electrical burst up the chains shocking him. And while watching Dragonus suffer the grandmaster bursts out in a laugh "You may be a god but I'm calling the shots here! "Dragonus who is still in pain from the electricity coursing through his body screeches to his captors "YOU BASTARDS" Watching Dragonus approach death however amusing as it was to the grandmaster did not take his focus away from his orders plan as he once again faces Dragonus and commands him now Dragonus create the Order of Lights utopia! This is not what happened though as the only result was the lights in the sky dimming briefly before going back to where they were earlier. The orders commander then turns to the grandmaster; Sir nothing happened. The Grandmaster Still annoyed that his plan isn't working just smacks his commander knocking his hood off as he thanks him for stating the brutally obvious he then turns back to Dragonus and begins speaking to the captive dragon; it looks like we'll need more than just you! That statement infuriated Dragonus as he screeches out "WHY YOU LEAVE MY BROTHERS OUT OF THIS" as he continues to watch the grandmaster walk away from him.  
Back with Ash, Serena, and Lillie:  
Phoenix Dragon attack with blaze cannon blast Ash commands; to which the legendary guardian of the sun was more than happy to do to protect his friends but as the phoenix unleashes his attack a loud screech became audible only to Ash & Serena; who immediately recognized it as being from Dragonus the leader of all the guardian titans but neither Ash or Serena felt it necessary to talk about it at the time. After fighting their way out of that difficult position the group decided to continue walking down the route they were on just a little longer before stopping for the night but, every step they continued to walk both Ash & Serena couldn't help but think about what they had heard earlier. Upon arriving at the pokemon center Serena decided to head out onto the porch for some air and after sitting on the steps and staring at the lights still illuminating the sky she hears Ash come up behind her. You okay Serena? Yeah I'm okay Ashy Serena manages to say in as somewhat convincing voice and a fake smile that Ash could immediately see through Ash knew that wasn't her "true smile" so Ash on a hunch decides to ask Serena about earlier; Serena did you hear what I did when i called Phoenix Dragon? Serena then gets rid of her fake smile knowing now that Ash didn't buy it; saying in a concerned whisper; "I think so Ash I could have sworn it was..." "Dragonus?" Ash stutters out to finish Serena's thought; Ash then notices Serena's expression change again this time to a look of sheer terror; as she again mutters out to Ash; "what is going on Ash?" Ash's expression then turns to one of concern; because he knows he doesn't have an answer and that certainly won't help Serena calm down which right now is really the only thing he wants at the moment but, Ash also knows that silence isn't helping either so he just says the only thing he can. "I don't know Serena I don't know..." He then looks to Serena and sees tears rolling down her face; "Ash this is starting to scare me!" Ash couldn't stand to see Serena like this so he wraps his arm around her and whispers to her "Don't be scared Serena we'll figure this out soon and then head home together after all, we're partners and a team!" hearing this had a calming effect on Serena who just slides over to Ash and hugs him! Feeling Serena's arms around him makes Ash confident that he got Serena to calm down just hugs her back as he feels Serena's honey blonde hair on his shoulder.  
The Following Morning:  
You two ready to go? Lillie asks her friends as they exit the pokemon center to discover what is the true cause of the light phenomenon causing all kinds of chaos in the Alola region as the three of them continue on down the path for a few minutes until Lillie, Ash & Serena all stop in terror as they witness a white-ish/silver "mountain-sized" creature who looked humanoid but had what looked like a sword for an arm. Still in complete terror Lillie looks over to both Ash & Serena who were both still standing there completelyey stunned watching this thing cut the forest down and, eventually ask. "What is that? Serena and Ash both answer that question in unison almost immediately; "We don't know!" as this creature continues to move closer to them Serena begins to wonder if she should call Phoenix Dragon to protect them but before she manages to "make the call" this creature has nearly reached her causing both Ash & Lillie to scream out to her to " LOOK OUT" but Ash goes a step further commanding his old pal Pikachu to use thunderbolt on it the yellow mouse is quick to oblige as he runs down Ash's arm and launches a thunderbolt at it! Now Ash of course had full confidence in his partner but, Pikachu's attack was only meant to buy Ash a few minutes to once again call upon the legendary Guardian of The Sun Phoenix Dragon; who appears and upon Ash's command and blast's what to Ash & Serena was an unknown beast but to Phoenix Dragon it was his brother Kolasus, after watching Kolasus fade off back to the Dimensional Plain Ash runs over to Serena to check on her followed in short order by Lillie. After making sure Serena's okay Ash, Serena and, Lillie decide to continue on for a few more hours until they decided to stop and rest at the local travel center; where after about twenty minutes of relaxing a delivery boy walks into the large common area and over to where Ash, Serena and, Lillie where sitting. "Excuse me are you Serena?" Serena looks at him with a confused face and says to him "I am" the delivery boy then hands Serena a letter before tipping his hat and walking away. Ash then looks Serena in the face and asks her; "Who's it from Serena?" Serena who after taking a couple more seconds to read the envelope before tearing the back of it open replies to Ash; "It's from Kate, Ash" Serena's statement obviously peaked Lillie's curiosity as she asks; "Who's Kate?" Serena who at this moment is reading her daughters letter just mutters to Lillie and says; "our daughter" Serena's reply to her just peaked Lillie's curiosity even more; "You two have a daughter?" While watching Serena continue to read Ash just turns to the Alolan native and with a confident look on his face says to her; "We sure do right now she's in Hoenn working to become a performer just like Serena!" After telling Lillie a little bit about Kate Ash's fathering instincts kicked in again and asks Serena what Kate wrote; Serena just continues looking at the paper while answering Ash; "She wants to come to Alola to participate in an event!?" This revelation really excited Lillie as she exclaims; "That's really cool I'd love to meet her!" Hearing that then caused something in Serena "most likely her mothering instinct" to immediately lash out at Lillie; "ABSOULUTLY NOT" before getting up and walking outside the travel center Lillie at this point just holds her head down wondering what she had done to "Piss Serena off" as Ash grows concerned and runs out of the travel center after her and after a couple minutes of running finds Serena who is clearly upset. "Serena?" Ash asks with a concerned tone of voice immediately catching Serena's attention; "Ash?" she asks her blue eyes still misted over; "What's wrong Serena?" Ash asks as he wraps his arm around her; I... I... just don't want Kate here right now Ash something strange is going on and, It's not safe as Serena continues to express to Ash her concerns the two of them seem to not notice the mist building around them; before hearing a loud screech in the air "AHHHHHHHH" Before Ash & Serena could react to the sound they find themselves enveloped in a "Blinding white light"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:  
Kingdom  
After a few minutes of being blinded the white light enveloping Ash & Serena finally faded down to a point to where the two confused trainers could see and after rubbing their eyes discovered they weren't in Alola anymore. Realizing this Serena turns to Ash again this time with a tone of fear rattling in her voice; "Ash where are we?" Ash then turns to Serena and holds the performers hand and says to her "I don't know Serena." Serena who wasn't reassured by Ash's answer just starts looking around and is soon consumed by disbelief as she realized something; "Wait Ash..." Serena's remark catches Ash's attention as he turns around and looks into her blue eyes with his auburn eyes and asks her; "what is it Serena?" Serena then mutters out "Look around Ash; it looks so familiar..." after scanning the horizon for a few moments Ash finds himself in disbelief as well as he realizes Serena's right. While Serena once again asks herself an all too familiar question; "What is going on?" As the young couple continue to scan the horizon Serena then asks Ash; How we'll we get back Ash? as he raven haired trainer continues looking on trying to place where exactly they were he takes a moment to reply to Serena; "I don't know but we're smart we'll figure it out as the two of them decide to start walking down the trail in front of them as if they subconsciously knew exactly where they were going it was a strange feeling because even as the place looked familiar they couple knew they had never been here before. After a few hours of walking Serena began to grow tired as she asked Ash; "Are you sure this is the right way?" Ash then looks to Serena and assures her "If I remember right this is the correct way" Encouraged by Ash's confidence Serena starts to smile but couldn't help but to address the strangest part of this entire situation; I still don't understand why we recognize this place Ash, since we've never been here before." Ash replies to Serena's statement "I know Serena it's so weird after walking another five hundred feet or so Ash & Serena both come to a "Dead stop" as they could see and feel the entire tree line shaking as a bright orange Pokemon "the first one Ash & Serena have seen since arriving at this place comes flying out of the tree line It was a Charizard who now clearly has its eye on Serena as she runs ahead of them to get out of it's sight as Charizard appears to be getting ready to attack her. Now whether this Pokemon had a trainer or if it was wild didn't even cross Ash's mind as the raven haired trainer's only focus was to save the woman he loved. Ash then exclaims "Guardian of the gateway appear and lend us your power!" At Ash's call the sky begins to darken as a white colored bolt of lightning shows across the cloud line as a silver dragon with four wings descends from the sky! Ash then looks up to the Guardian of the gateway who is now in the sky right above his head and asks him to please save Serena with; absorb reflection. The dragon then flies in front of the Charizard's flamethrower attack that he had just launched at Serena who is still trying to run away. As the attack hits Mirror Wall Dragon's metal colored wings it starts emitting a glow as Mirror Wall Dragon turns around to face Charizard and launches the absorbed attack right back at Charizard as the multi-colored blast escapes Mirror Wall Dragon's jaws and hit's it's mark on Charizard causing it to fall from the sky. Seeing that Charizard has been taken care of Ash runs up to Serena and places his hands on Serena's shoulders as he asks her if she's alright but, because Ash and Serena where too busy focusing on each other they didn't even notice a "mysterious" little girl walking up behind them along the trail as the girl takes one look at them and asks "What are you doing here your majesties?" This question and how it was stated immediately captured Ash & Serena's attention as they both turn to find a girl who "shares the same face as their friend from Kalos; Bonnie." Seeing this Ash & Serena both immediately come to the same "logical solution"; (if there was one at this point) and ask the girl. Bonnie, what are you doing here? Ash & Serena's question obviously confused her as she just looks to Ash & Serena in confusion because unbeknownst to Ash & Serena this girl has them mistaken them both for someone else. After pondering this for a few moments the blonde haired girl finally addresses Ash & Serena again; who's Bonnie I'm Rebecca! Rebecca's response to Ash & Serena really just created more questions than it answered as Serena leans over to Ash and whispers into his ear a question they both have in mind; "Ash what is going on?" Once again however, Ash had to do something he absolutely hated and that was telling Serena; "I have no idea!" As Ash & Serena are discussing their current situation Rebecca once again addresses Ash & Serena with a bit of confusion as well; "Why are you out here anyway your highnesses I thought you two were out searching for Dragonus?" That name the name of the legendary Guardian of Guardian's; the supreme dragon ruler immediately captured Ash & Serena's attention as they both begin to remember their previous encounter with the ruler of all the Guardian Titans. Serena was the first to answer back to the energetic girl who from how she was acting was obviously; "Very anxious and obviously searching for answers." I really think you have us confused with someone else! The honey blonde trainer states as she pushes a strand of hair from her face as the wind begins to pick up in the pasture where they all now stand. Rebecca then grins at Serena and replies to her; No I don't you're obviously our king & queen you both look like them and also you can do something no one else on this plain other than our King and Queen can; you can call upon the gods... Sorry I mean the Divine Dragons and command them without them killing you! Rebecca's revelation had clearly caught Ash & Serena "off-guard" as the couple stand there not only stunned by Rebecca's words but also because they don't have a response to her argument. After a few moments of silence Rebecca decides to address Ash and Serena once more; "Anyway I'm glad you're both okay, so let's head back to the kingdom everyone is worried sick about you!" After stating this Rebecca turns her back to Ash & Serena and begins to walk down the trail she arrived on no doubt back to her kingdom but, Ash & Serena just continue to stand in the clearing unsure of how to approach this as Serena reaches down and grabs Ash's hand taking it into her own and asks him. What do you think Ash should we follow her? Ash then looks into Serena's blue eyes and answers her question; I don't know Serena after all we aren't who she thinks we are and, it wouldn't feel right to lie to her and her people. Ash just continues to look into Serena's eyes as he feels her grip tighten on his hand as Serena responds. I know Ash but if we go we may get some "desperately" needed answers so we can figure out what's going on and go home. As Serena continues to try and convince Ash, Rebecca has once again turned back to Ash & Serena and noticed they hadn't followed her; so she decides to ask them once more; aren't you coming? After hearing Rebecca's question Serena just looks at Ash again and whispers to him "Well Ash?" Serena knew Ash's answer almost immediately as she felt his grip change on her hand and his fingers interlocking with her own. As Ash shouts over to Rebecca; Yeah we're coming as the two of them walk over to the girl who will hopefully take them to their answers. Sure enough after only a few minutes of walking Rebecca had led Ash & Serena to a village that looks like it came straight out of the middle ages, as Ash & Serena look up at the castle on the hill in awe they hear Rebecca proclaim; "Here we are Tempalizin." Ash & Serena don't respond to this though as they continue to look up unaware that one of Rebecca's friends had run up to them all; "Rebecca there you are, who's your friends?" Her friends question immediately causes Rebecca to fall into a state of disbelief as she begins to talk; Kylie what is wrong with you? You don't recognize the king & queen? Kylie then looks over Rebecca's shoulder then back to Rebecca and says "That's not them Rebecca they look different than they did!" Rebecca just shrugs her shoulders as she reminds Kylie; "The king & queen have been gone for six months of course they look different!" Ash & Serena just decide to stand back and not get in the way of Rebecca & Kylie's argument but the four of them are interrupted by a noise coming from the forest causing all their eyes to focus on a clearing where a group of wild pokemon appear to be charging straight for them. This sight causes Rebecca & Kylie to stop arguing as they stand there in terror over what's coming but Ash and Serena who don't know either of these kids decide to get between them and this group of charging pokemon and call out both Braixen & Pikachu to use their combined attacks in an attempt to stop the charging line but as Braixen and Pikachu's combined flamethrower & Thunderbolt combination hits and the smoke begins to fade they are all shocked by the result; "The attacks had little to no effect on them" this causes both Ash and Serena to step back in surprise that one of their strongest combo attacks had done nothing but realizing that Rebecca was still in harm's way Serena wasted no time looking back to Ash and in concern says to him "I think it's time for Plan B" Ash just nods to Serena in agreement as she calls out "Osiris please lend us your power!" After calling out for the legendary sky guardian the skies begin to darken only to be interrupted by bursts of blue lightning as a dark blue dragon begins his descent from the sky! The sight of the sky guardian once again catches Kylie & Rebecca's attention as they stand under him in awe. With the wild pokemon still charging towards all of them Ash & Serena waste no time in asking the sky guardian to use his lightning blast to protect them all; as a burst of electrical energy forms from the mouth of the sky guardian and blasts them. After Osiris clears the sky of their attackers and once again fades away into the sky; Serena runs over to Rebecca and Kylie asking them if they're okay; to which Kylie and Rebecca assured Serena they were the two girls start running for the courtyard shouting at the top of their lungs "EVERYONE THE KING & QUEEN ARE BACK!" Ash and Serena obviously didn't know how to react to what's happening as they just quietly follow Rebecca and Kylie, unaware that they were being watched by Bannon who was known to the citizens of Tempalizin as the local "Con-Man"; who just so happened to know about Dragonus begins thinking to himself; "That's impossible he already took care of..." But as Bannon looks up and sees Ash & Serena walking behind them he immediately confuses them for their Different Dimensional counterparts the real Queen & King of Tempalizin causing him to talk to himself again "It can't be..." Bannon then decides that he needs to confront the "muscle" of his bosses plan; about why the Queen & King are still walking around. As Bannon turns his back to walk away he can hear Rebecca shouting; "Come on your Majesties let's go to the castle!" The group continues walking while Rebecca continues to play tour guide that is until Ash and Serena see a piece of tapestry that makes them both stop "dead in their tracks" after gazing at the tapestry which to Ash and Serena may as well have been a mirror causes Ash to whisper to Serena "no way Serena look.." without even looking at Ash; Serena whispers her response still in complete disbelief; "it's them the people that look just like us; the ones who would show up and give us guidance when we needed it!" While listening to Serena and glad that he's not the only one seeing this and that he's not crazy just mutters out the two questions still glaring in his mind; "What is going on and where exactly are we?"

Meanwhile in an unknown cave in an unknown location:

"Where are you; you lying coward?" Bannon shouts out but grows frustrated when he doesn't hear a reply causing Bannon to shout out once more Raphael! After hearing the ruckus going on Raphael finally appears to Bannon and shouts him down in response "What do you want Bannon?" Raphael's response just infuriates Bannon even more as he looks Raphael square into his eyes and says "I want answers you snake" Bannon's comments clearly confused Raphael who just "raises his brow" as he responds "I have no idea what you're talking about! Raphael's response clearly infuriated Bannon who didn't think much of Raphael in the first place as he "blares out" to him; "THE KING & QUEEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF THE KING & QUEEN!" Bannon's revelation just deepened Raphael's confusion as he responds to Bannon "I did" Bannon was quick to respond to this by once again jumping down the warlord's throat "LIKE HELL YOU DID THEN WHY ARE THE KING & QUEEN WALKING AROUND THE PALACE?" This revelation caused the warlord to take pause as he begins to think to himself about his plan to capture Yveltal from the second dimension and unleashing it against the king & queen and how stupid he was for sending a pokemon to "do a warlords job" as he grabs Bannon by the collar and demands to know where the king & queen are. to which Bannon anxiously answered "they're at the summer palace" after hearing what he wanted to know Raphael throws Bannon to the ground as he storms out of his hideout as he mutters "They may have survived my wrath once but they won't survive this time!"  
Meanwhile with Serena in Tempalizin:  
What is going on and why does everything always happen to us? Serena mutters as she sits alone glancing up to the crescent moon in the middle of the warm night sky as a tear starts to run down her face. As Ash comes walking up and sits beside her and asks; "Are you okay Serena; why are you crying?" Ash's inquiry just causes Serena to turn to him and brush a lock of her honey blonde hair out of her eye as she answers him; "I just want to know what's going on and..." Serena cuts herself off as she reaches into her vest pocket and pulls out her pink guide book and opens it pulling up her screensaver which was a picture of her, Ash, Kate and, Kenny as she begins to finish her response; and I want to go home so we can see Kate and Kenny and everyone else again. Seeing Serena like this just causes Ash to reach over and pull her into a tight hug and whisper into her ear; "I know you do sweetie I do too, we'll figure out how to get home together soon I promise." Ash's words and embrace had a sudden calming effect on Serena as she rests her head on his shoulder and tells him thank you. As Ash was getting ready to respond to her he was cut off by Serena who whispers to him; "You know that's the first time in a while I've heard you call me sweetie." As Ash starts to stutter out a response to Serena she says to him; "That's not important though thank you Ashy" as the two of them just continue to look up to the night sky."

The Following Morning In Tempalizin:

This is so strange ash & Serena mutter in unison as the continue to stare upon their different dimensional counterparts depicted on the tapestry on the wall only to be interrupted by one of the servants; "Are you ready to address the senate your majesties they've been very anxious since you wondered off" not knowing how to respond to him Ash & Serena just nod to him as they begin to follow him down the corridor; however along the way Ash and Serena try to keep their distance so they can have a private conversation. "Ash I don't like this; pretending to be someone I'm not" Serena's concern as quickly met with Ash's "I don't either Serena but we already tried to explain this to them and they won't believe us." "I know is mistaken identity that unbelievable?" Serena asks Ash but instead of answering her Ash addressed another concern of his; "I just wonder what we'll do if they return." thinking about the King and Queen on the tapestry" Just as Ash and Serena finish the last of their conversation they find themselves staring at the door of the senate which was pushed open by the Servant revealing a green colored room with a group of Men and Women sitting around tables chanting as the Servant leads Ash & Serena to the center of the room where two thrones sat no doubt for the King and Queen and announces " ladies and gentlemen" The servants words silenced the room as he continues on "The King and Queen of Tempalizin." After a couple minutes of silence Ash and Serena nervously mutter out "Good Morning..." Ash and Serena were not met with happiness however instead they find themselves being "shouted down; for leaving Tempalizin while a power struggle began to unfold and how Ash and Serena would like them to ensure they're in charge again " Unaware about anything or anyone in Tempalizin, Ash and Serena begin to try to address concerns and get everyone to calm down only to be interrupted by the doors to the senate being kicked down by a mysterious man to Ash and Serena warlord Raphael; "Don't worry they won't be in charge for long" Raphael was met by more anger than Ash and Serena were; "And you are?" The senators question just causes Raphael to smirk as he introduces himself; "My name is warlord Raphael" Raphael then turns his head to Ash and Serena and says to them "Well what do you know you two did survive, I'll have to fix that!" Raphael's statement causes Ash and Serena to "tense up" as Raphael reaches for a Pokeball and tosses it up in the air as he proclaims Yveltal come forth and finish what you've started" as Yveltal "The Pokemon of destruction appears inside the Tempalizin senate chamber. Seeing Yveltal causes a couple of senators to grow unnerved a they've never seen it before and ask; "what is that?" expecting Raphael to respond but it is Serena who answers the question "Yveltal The legendary Pokemon of destruction" Raphael was impressed and was quick to comment on Serena's response; "Well what do you know the queen managed to pick up a book while finding a new look! responding to Serena's "different appearance from her dimensional counterpart" causing Serena to grow annoyed as Raphael once again assured Ash and Serena that they'd be dead soon! Ash soon spoke up "Enough Raphael!" as Ash adds "Leave now" but rather than heading the warning Raphael informs Ash & Serena that he ensured his employer that they'd both be eliminated!" but deep down Raphael begins to get a gut feeling that whomever he was talking to wasn't the real king and queen as he orders Yveltal to blast everyone but, Ash had a different idea as he walks from Serena's side making Serena un-easy but still confident that Ash would not just protect her but everyone else as she looks on at Ash who is now staring Yveltal in the eye as he called out a legend of his own Greninja; however seeing Greninja caused Serena to grow more un-easy because she knows what Ash is going to do next. Sure enough Ash and Greninja united to form Ash Greninja. Seeing Ash-Greninja surprised the senators who were quick to assume that their King (whom they believe Ash was at this point) had learned how to do this while him and the queen (whom they believe Serena was) were gone. As Ash begins to confront Yveltal with Greninja Serena could feel her finger nails digging into her thighs as she remembers the stories her mother told her about Yveltal when she was little and how it was responsible for countless deaths and all out destruction. While Serena was thinking about this she's shocked back to reality as she sees Greninja was just barely able to dodge Yveltal's blast fearing what would happen to Ash if Greninja was hit with the two of them being "Fused" and all. Serena couldn't take it anymore as she stands back up from her throne and calling Braixen out just as Yveltal was preparing to attack Greninja again as Ash stands in front of the warlord and Yveltal his attention immediately focuses behind him as he hears Serena shouting "Braixen use flamethrower!" Braixen's attack managed to confuse Yveltal just long enough to buy Greninja enough time to fall back; as everyone including Raphael was taken aback at the incredible teamwork of Ash & Serena but Yveltal was quick to charge in again as Raphael begins to laugh "Insanely" as he takes aim at Braixen however before that could happen the "Dimensional Guardian Mirror Wall Dragon" appeared on his own surprising everyone including Serena as she looks up at the Silver Dragon floating above her head as he screeches out causing light to shower down onto Braixen as he fades away Serena quickly rubbed her eyes so she could see again but as she tilts her head and looks on at Braixen she notices that her partner now had rainbow colored lines running up and down her body confused by this Ash who was looking on at this wonders to himself "if Mirror Wall Dragon had just fused with Braixen" but there was no time to keep wondering as they hear Raphael commanding Yveltal to attack again but Serena wasn't going to let that happen as Braixen jumps down in front of Yveltal at first her actions cause Ash and Serena to instinctively shout out in concern but  
soon stopped with the faith that whatever "Mirror Wall Dragon" had done would protect her and sure enough as Yveltal attacked Braixen draws her stick as Yveltal's attack comes in contact with it rather than turn Braixen to stone she begins to absorb it and was quick to fire it back combining it with her flamethrower causing Ash & Serena to stare on in stunned silence while the deflected attack hits Yveltal causing smoke to build and Raphael to rethink his plan as he fades away into the smoke and escapes as Tempalizin's senators begin to check on one another and the servant calls for guards to chase after Raphael; as Ash and Serena just stand there as the lines on Braixen fade away and Mirror Wall Dragon begins re-appearing above their head wondering what that was all about...


	4. Chapter 4

Later that evening with Raphael:  
I'm not sure if the king and queen did survive but whoever they are they seem to be just as strong, and even though I despise the grandmaster he needs to know about this. As Raphael finishes his thought he arrives in front of the dimensional portal stone, after staring at it for a couple seconds of staring up at the portal stone Raphael rummages through his pocket and pulls out a metallic pen shaped device very similar to the one the grandmaster used against Daniel and Dragonus. Raphael then takes this device and slams it onto the stone and begins to talk to a "ghost like" image of the grandmaster that appeared in between the stone and Raphael. "We have a problem Raphael announces to the grandmasters image with a slight tone of disgust in his voice. Raphael's revolution catches the curiosity of the grandmaster that was quick to ask Raphael what kind of problem they would be facing now. Raphael was very hesitant to tell the grandmaster "the king & queen appeared to have survived" that statement angered the grandmaster who wasted no time in chastising Raphael; "what do you mean the survived; what kind of war lord are you Raphael?" Being insulted by the grandmaster caused Raphael to lash back at him in anger; "relax sir i don't really think it's them" Hearing what may have been the stupidest thing he'd ever heard responds back to him; " relax sir i don't really think it's them" growing even more confused the grandmaster "fires back" at him "that makes no sense Raphael; do i really have to come back there and hold your hand?" completely pissed off at this point Raphael stares the grandmaster in the eye and shouts; I didn't ask you to come back and handle it I'll take care of it. After blowing off his steam Raphael storms off leaving the grandmaster there to ponder his next step.

Meanwhile with Ash & Serena:

It sure is a pretty night out tonight isn't it Ash as the young couple stand out on the balcony of the royal palace of Tempalizin feeling the cool night breeze blowing onto their faces as Serena feels Ash's arm wrapping around her waist and then hears Ash reply; it sure is Serena as the two of them continue to stare out across the lake. After not hearing anything else from Ash Serena turns her head her blue eyes just gazing at Ash and asks him with concern; I's something wrong Ashy?" Ash just stares into Serena's blue eyes as they glistened in the moonlight and says in a whisper; "I'd just really like to know what's going on Serena." Serena then takes Ash's hand in hers before saying anything, Once her fingers intertwined with Ash's she responds to him in almost the same whisper; "I do to Ash but don't worry we'll find some answers soon." Serena's response causes a smile to come across Ash's face as he replies to her; "I guess you're right Serena" as Ash watches Serena smile back at him he couldn't help but think to himself about Raphael and the bad feeling he has about him but his train of thought soon ended as he feels Serena tugging his arm as she whispers into his ear; Well it's getting late why don't we go get some sleep Ashy?" Ash smiles back at Serena as the two of them walk back into their room at the palace and get settled into the large bed to get some sleep as the two whisper their goodnight's to each other.

Back in Alola with the Grandmaster:

Did Raphael "blow it?" the grandmaster begins to wonder and after a few minutes of contemplation he decides that because the demise of the king & queen of Tempalizin is key to his plan he couldn't chance it he needed to return home to see for himself. Before walking away the grandmaster turns to Dragonus who thanks to his equipment is still chained down and addresses the watcher guardian; "You hold tight Dragonus I'll be back soon." the revolting actions of this human in particular causes the blue dragon to curse him as he walks away.  
The following morning in Tempalizin with Ash & Serena:  
It's right down here you're majesties was all a member of the Tempalizin senate says to Ash & Serena as he escorts them down one of the long hallways of the royal palace to a pair of large oak doors. After arriving at their destination the senator takes out a large bronze color key and inserts it into the door and opens it for Ash & Serena. On the other side of the door was a large library with floor to ceiling shelves what must have been 11 feet tall and down the length of the room almost as far as the eye could see. The scope of this room had Ash & Serena in awe so much so that they didn't say a word to the senator who was kind enough to escort them here. The senator was quick to break the silence "Here we are your majesties the royal archive now I'll leave you two alone if you need anything just let us know" as the senator turns away to go back down the corridor he hears Ash & Serena thank him for bringing them here. Once the senator had taken his leave Serena turns to Ash and assures him that they could surely find some answers here. Hearing Serena's reassurance brings a smile of confidence to Ash's face as he nods to Serena as the two of them start to walk the length of the archive room. But before they could even make it halfway down the length of the room just gazing at the shelf's they here a blood curdling scream coming from the senate chamber right above their heads. causing both Serena and Ash to immediately turn to face one another both wondering what was going on as the young couple just nods at each other and run out of the archive to go investigate after running back as fast as they could to the senate chamber they find the large doors metal doors open and hearing none other than the voice of warlord Raphael saying; come out... come out... wherever you are?" causing Ash and Serena to leave the safety of being behind the open doors and entering the doorway staring the warlord down as they both express their anger over his presence; "You again!?" Ash & Serena's response apparently disappointed Raphael as he says to them in a sarcastic tone; "what aren't you two happy to see me?" Ash & Serena were quick to show their displeasure as the young couple blurt out to him "No we aren't Raphael now get lost" The war lord clearly amused by his enemies displeasure as he throws a Pokeball up into the air but there was a problem with what a came out; what came out was a Mega Charizard Y which shouldn't be able to appear in that form without a charizardite Y which Ash & Serena were quick to point out but Raphael wasn't about to give them time to react as he quickly orders his Mega Charizard Y to attack Serena who quickly became stunned with fear as Ash runs to Serena driven to protect the girl he loves and in a "snap reaction" jumps on top of her taking them both to the floor and out of harm's way. Raphael didn't know it but he had "crossed the line" in Ash's eyes when he endangered Serena's life so he called out for Ash Greninja to fight Raphael's Mega Charizard Y but the chaos that erupted in the Tempalizin senate chamber came to a swift pause as a deep voice began to echo through the chamber "ENOUGH" Ash, Serena and Raphael were quick to turn their attention to the doorway and find a "Robed man" standing there the man was quick to shout out a second demand directed to the rouge warlord "Leave now if you know what's good for you" the robed man then pulls a Pokeball out from below his robe and tosses it and releases his Luxray. Even though he was grateful for the diversion from this stranger Ash wasted no time in turning his attention back to Raphael commanding Greninja to attack his Charizard and the robed man soon followed suite commanding his Luxray to charge in too and as these combined attacks hit it was soon evident to everyone that it didn't succeed in defeating him. The robed man then begins to wonder to himself if he was helping the real king & queen of Tempalizin or imposters so he suggests to Ash & Serena; "You're majesties we could use a guardian right about now" Ash clearly agreed with this stranger as he nods to him and calls out for his and Serena's old friend the guardian of the earth Solarois. Seeing the red skinned dragon whose charge is to guard the earth cemented in the robed strangers mind that either the king & queen survived or that he was working with their different dimensional counterparts seeing Solarois clearly caught Raphael off guard as he runs off. as he watched Raphael run away the robed man shouts to the guard corps to chase after him the soldiers were quick to respond to these orders as they chase after him the robed man then turns to Ash & Serena and addresses them; "I'm glad to see you're okay you're majesties" Ash & Serena who are now convinced that this man must work for the real king and queen just mutter Uhh... the robed man just bows and speaks once again "My apologies you both have been gone for a while and I have lost some weight it's me the Grandmaster of Tempalizin commander of the palace guard corps!" Ash & Serena thank the grandmaster for the help as he informs them that he'd be returning to his quarters if they needed anything. As Ash & Serena watch the grandmaster take his leave Serena looks to Ash and says to him "He seemed nice" to which Ash agreed with a nod.

Outside Tempalizin with the Grandmaster:

"Okay now that I know where Ash & Serena are i need to know if Raphael screwed this up!" The grandmaster whispers to himself as Raphael comes walking up behind him and asks "What's the deal?" The grandmaster smirked at Raphael and asks him what brought him here; Raphael was quick to respond "I could have finished them off. "The grandmaster nods at the warlord he sees as Naïve for believing that as he asks him to walk with him as the two men begin to walk away from the kingdom to the neighboring forest he finally tells him "No you couldn't finish them off Raphael but even so that's okay our plan requires time and although Ash & Serena being here wasn't part of the plan it's actually better now they're away from Alola allowing me to continue my operation without interruption and, Tempalizin will stay calm and stable in the absence of the king & queen" Raphael was quick to let the grandmaster know what he thinks of his plan "You're a sick man" The grandmaster smirks at what he's taking as a compliment "I know; now come I want to check your work." As the two of them continue having their conversation they come up to and enter a cave which was surprisingly well lit with the hole in the top along the sun to shine in as they see two statues of a man & woman who sort of resembled Ash and Serena while a little girl with Honey blonde hair and wearing an all flannel outfit kneeled at the feet of the statues AND MUTTERING IN A CONFUSED TONE OF VOICE; "Mommy... Daddy...?" "It can't be..." The grandmaster and Raphael seemed to recognize the girl almost immediately as the grandmaster makes a statement under his breath "Well what do you know the princess" Raphael on the other hand wasn't so suddle; "GET REAL KID.." Raphael's outburst and it's echo were quick to get the child's attention as she turns to face them her purple eyes misted over. Raphael then continued; "THEY'RE DEAD THEY'RE NEVER COMING BACK" Raphael's declaration caused the young girl to cry as she yells back "You're lying" Seeing this back and forth caused a change of tone from the grandmaster as he says to Raphael; "Go easy on the child Raphael after all war is hard" this statement just confused the young girl as she whispers; "War..?" Raphael who once again was trying to be as brutal as possible yells back at the girl "YES WAR NOW GET LOST" The girl just looks at Raphael & The Grandmaster without moving causing Raphael to yell at her once again; "ARE YOU DEAF OR STUPID GET LOST" Raphael's Brash attitude towards the princess caused the grandmaster to have to play good cop again as he walks over to the young girl and pats her head as he tells her "Why don't you go back to Tempalizin I'm sure someone there will be able to help you" The girls looks to the hooded figure then back to the statues still refusing to believe that they were indeed her parents before "Bolting out of the cave" After the girl ran out Raphael storms over to the grandmaster as he demands to know why he'd let her leave and begins to question just whose side he's on. The grandmaster then tells the warlord; "Last time I checked you work for me Raphael not the other way around" The grandmaster then takes his hand and runs it over the statue that looks like Serena's face feeling the ice cold stone. He then says to him "Good work Raphael looks like you did something right for a change" Raphael was just as quick to respond to that; "I told you that the king and queen were taken care of." The grandmaster smirks as he informs Raphael that now that he knows that the king and queen are taken care of that he will be returning to Alola to continue working on the plan; forcing Raphael to ask one more question from his employer; "And the girl ash and Serena?" The grandmaster smirks to his question and says to him; "I'll take care of them soon enough so for now just keep your eye on them!"

Meanwhile with Ash & Serena in Tempalizin:

Something wrong Ash? Serena asks Ash as she turns to face him the cool night breeze hitting them both as they stand on the balcony overlooking the lake with the moonlight shinning across the water below. hearing Serena's voice causes Ash to turn and face her as his auburn eyes come in contact with Serena's blue eyes before saying what's on his mind; "I still don't feel comfortable about this Serena, what if the real king & queen return? Hearing Ash's answer causes Serena to smile at Ash but not before reaching down onto the white painted balcony for Ash's hand and after grasping it Serena replies to him; I know how you feel Ash it makes me feel uncomfortable too but don't worry Ash I'm sure they won't mind... Serena's response to his concern still didn't help ease Ash's nerves as he mutters out "I don't know..." seeing Ash's reaction Serena just whispers into his ear; "Just relax now come on "King Ash" let's go to bed and get some sleep" with a slight laugh at the end causing Ash to decide to play along as he says to her "Okay queen Serena" as the two of them walk back inside the castle together with their hands still interlocked.

Meanwhile with Katie:

There it is Tempalizin the little honey blonde hair girl mutters as she stares at Tempalizin as its walls and castle shine in the moon light the princess then reaches up and pulls her flannel hat down onto her head so it was nice & snug before reassuring herself that everyone must have heard about her mom & dad by now they had to be alive and that someone should be able to help her as she charges up the long path towards the kingdom.

The following Morning with Ash & Serena:

Here it is your majesties the royal library the king & queens servant announces as he opens the large polished oak doors revealing shelves upon shelves of books from the floor to ceiling as far as the eye could see and after thanking the servant for bringing them to the library Ash & Serena got to work right away pulling books off the shelves and examining the contents in hopes of finding answers and after about thirty minutes Serena reaches up for a book with a red binding and opens it then quickly calling Ash over and after scanning the page Serena looks to Ash again and says; "that's got to be it Ash the reason why everyone has confused us with the king & queen!" Ash then replies back to her yeah but that still doesn't explain what happen to the king & queen!" Serena was quick to continue the conversation by saying "That's true but at least we got some answers about what this place is!" Ash smiles at Serena as he realizes his own anxiety about the unknown that him & Serena had been facing is starting to let up and replies back to her in a confident tone of voice; " You're right Serena and if these books are right the next thing we need to do to get home is find Dragonus!" Seeing Ash like this causes Serena to smile as she says "Yeah we find Dragonus we get to go home!"

Meanwhile with Katie:

Ahh princess there you are the Servant says with a smile on his face relieved to see the princess had returned. Katie then says as she pants in exhaustion "I need help..." trying to catch her breath the servant still blindly unaware of what was going on just asks Katie; "Why don't you just ask your parents?" Katie was reluctant to answer which was obvious as her tone went from "loud & labored" to a "quiet and shy whisper" "I would but..." before Katie could finish her sentence the servant interrupts her by saying "They're in the library right now" Katie then goes silent as she begins to whisper to herself "But that's Impossible" and without thinking or saying anything more the Honey Blonde hair girl runs down the corridor full speed towards the library and enters the room seeing Ash and Serena who are still looking at the book Serena found but when their eyes lift up they catch a glimpse of a sight they couldn't quite comprehend a girl that looks like a clone of their own daughter Kate. While Katie who is still emotionally traumatized by what had happened just runs to Ash & Serena shouting "MOMMY... DADDY..." as she runs to Ash and Serena and wraps her arms around them causing Ash and Serena to look at each other with a look of confusion.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five  
Katie continued to hold on to Ash and Serena as she felt a tap on her hat from Serena who was just "There... There'ing" her this move caused Katie to realize that something was wrong as she jumps back and says to Ash & Serena; "who are you; you're not my parents!" Katie's statement surprised Ash and Serena for a minute but they were also relieved that finally someone here was able to tell they weren't who everyone thought they were so Ash & Serena quietly introduced themselves to Katie. After hearing their introductions a memory came back to Katie she then explains to Ash and Serena about how she heard her parents mention an Ash and, Serena before and that they referred to them as their different Dimensional counterparts. Unbeknownst to Katie this revelation came as a relief to Ash and, Serena too as they realized that Katie could be just the person that can help them solve this mystery as the two of them ask the princess for her help. Katie agrees to this request as she heard her parents talk about Ash & Serena so fondly and that since her parents trusted them they'd want her to help them if they were here. The silence was broken as Ash begin to speak to the princess again; "Katie everyone here is confusing us with your parents!" Serena was quick to follow Ash's lead as she continues it would help us so much if you could tell us about them!" The princess just nods her head to this request as she begins to speak...  
Flashback told by Katie's POV:  
"Well my parents were nice; kind rulers of Tempalizin, they were tough but fair to everyone and as king and queen they did their best to put everyone else's needs above their own; but when things got out of control they were able to call upon the legendary mystical dragons to reestablish order if it was needed; and they were the only ones in the world that could call upon them, well that is until you two arrived!  
Katie then ends her story:  
As Katie finished her story Ash muttered out the only words that came to his mind; "I see..." but for Serena it begged another question and one she muttered out without even thinking about it; "Katie..." The honey blonde girl's purple eyes focused on Serena as she asked "What happened to your parents Katie?" Serena's question though unintentional caused the princess to cry as she pulls her hat over her eyes again as she cries out "Raphael got them" Katie's revelation then caused both Ash and Serena to jump back in horror upon hearing this as Katie begins to tell Ash and Serena what happened;  
Flashback Begins:  
"Katie have you seen your brother" Katie's mother asked of her daughter (Note Katie's mother looks identical to Serena) hearing this question from her mother Katie looks up to her mother and says to her; "He went to go play with Growlithe mommy" it became evident real quick that Katie's response angered her mother as she mutters out "I told him to not leave Tempalizin it's not safe with that warlord running around!" after her mother finishes her remark Katie's father soon entered the room (Note Katie's father looks identical to Ash) enters the room and says to her mother "We better go find him before he gets hurt" Katie's mother quietly agreed as she turns back to Katie and tells her not to go anywhere and that they'd be back soon.

Flashback ends:  
"And they never..." Katie mutters to Ash and Serena as tears roll down her face causing Serena to reach out and place her hand on her shoulder and quietly whispers her name in sympathy for the princess as Katie finally muttered out the rest of her sentence "And they never came back..." causing Ash to mutter out in a sympathetic voice just as Serena did "Katie do you know what happened after they left?" as the princess breaks out crying she answers Ash's question between sobs; "NO!" "Well at least not what happened to mom & dad but I do know what happened here!" After mom and dad left a fight for power and who was in charge broke out and even though as the princess I'm next in line for the throne I was discredited and tossed aside because of my age. I couldn't take these people ruining everything my mom and dad worked so hard to build so I left in hopes that I'd be able to find them. "Katie..." Serena just mutters out again in sympathy for the princess as she pats her shoulder but Ash on the other hand had something to say that shocked both Serena and Katie; "I think I understand" hearing this just causes Katie to mutter out in confusion "huh?" while Serena turns to look at Ash with a look of disbelief on her face as she say to him " you are?" Ash answers Serena's question; "Yeah I mean i may not understand why we're here or how we got here, but with Katie's parents gone and things starting to fall apart they believe we're them because we resemble them so much!" Serena adds to what Ash had to say by saying; "well technically we are them just from a different dimension" this just confused Katie as she places her hand on her temple and mutters out "My brain hurts, followed shortly by Serena who copies this action and adds "mine too" and after a minute more of thought an idea starts to form in her head a plan that could pull the kingdom back together for a while. Katie then faces Ash and Serena and asks if they'd do her a favor. Hearing Katie's request took the young trainer couple for a loop not only because in their eyes it was like seeing their little girl who they both love and miss but at the same time know it's not her; Katie then explains to Ash and Serena that with them here Tempalizin had calmed down and she didn't want her parents work to be ruined as she asks Ash & Serena to fill in for her parents a little while longer a request that made both Ash & Serena feel uncomfortable but as they looked into Katie's eyes that were beginning to water over they couldn't help but to reluctantly agree. Causing Katie to grow excited as she thanks these two strangers for doing something like this; as Serena announces that the first thing they should do is look for the people who were responsible for this whole mess which caused Ash to turn to her and ask her; "That Raphael guy!?" which Serena just nods at that answer while Katie wonders to herself if they were talking about the same guy who told her about the fate of her parents a thought that was interrupted by a knock on the door it was the servant who looks to Katie and tells her that he sees that she found her parents to which Katie just nods as he also informs the "Royal family" that dinner was served which caused Katie to immediately start the sherade by turning to Ash & Serena and says "We are coming right; mom and dad!?" causing Serena to space for a second before remembering that her and Ash had just agreed to play along before nudging Ash and whispering to him "Come on Ash remember play along" to which they both look to Katie and then to the servant and said "We're coming thank you very much as they walk out of the room and towards the dining room. As Serena and Ash followed Katie into the dining room of the palace Serena couldn't help but think about Kate their daughter back home as well as Kenny and all their friends in family; would they get home sure Serena had Ash but it was a thought that she couldn't escape all throughout dinner.

Later in the Senate Chamber of Tempalizin:  
"Alright that's five against five; so your majesties it's up to you to be the tie breaker, are you for or against this?" Ash and Serena who were both sitting on the king and queens throne as they turn to face each other; they didn't know whether it was a good idea or not because they didn't know the first thing about governing so they then turn to Katie who was standing next to them Katie then whispers "mom and Dad would want this to pass as she nods to Ash and Serena who on Katie's recommendation votes for it allowing for this "nightmare" of a governing session to end so they can all go to bed; something Ash, Serena and, Katie all wanted. As Serena mutters out in exhaustion "thank goodness that's over; how about we all get some sleep!?" A suggestion that Ash and Katie clearly approved of but before they could act on it they heard a "familiar voice" once again "Well... Well... Well..." this action causes all three of them to look up and notice warlord Raphael once again as he stands in the doorway as all of them stare him down in anger! But Katie just "Bursts out" at the warlord demanding to know what he did to her parents this caused Raphael to smirk as he informs the princess that she should just be happy that he spared her and let her live before turning his attention back to Ash & Serena who just stand there and demand that he surrender and leave but Raphael just laughs at this so Ash & Serena in a hope to convince him to reconsider call for their friend and guardian of the sun phoenix dragon who appears and causes Raphael to stand in awe before his power as he muttered out; "I've awaited you guardian of the sun" as he calls out three of his own pokemon Chesnaught, Dragonite as well as the Charizard that gave Ash and Serena so much grief the last time they fought. Seeing that it was now three on one both Ash and Serena knew that wasn't fair even though "Their one" was a god; So Ash & Serena ask their "aces" Pikachu and Braixen to go in with the Divine Dragon of the sun and fight off this intruder as Katie continues to support her new friends who were quickly growing to be like family to her insisting that they'll "destroy Raphael!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:  
As Ash and Serena stare down Raphael once again; in his corner Charizard, Chesnaught and, Dragonite and in theirs Pikachu, Braixen and Phoenix Dragon the divine guardian of the sun floating above their heads and with a tense moment of silence passed Raphael commands Charizard, Chesnaught and, Dragonite to attack all of them simultaneously which ash & Serena countered by commanding Braixen, Pikachu and Phoenix Dragon to do the same as all six of these attacks collided smoke starts to build causing Ash to grow concerned as he yelled out to Serena and, Katie making sure they were both okay after assurances that they were the heavy smoke started to clear allowing Katie to confront the warlord demanding that he tell her what he did to her family a demand which Raphael just brushes off has he answers the princess "Oh it's you again... I already told you kid they're dead!" A revelation that caused both Ash & Serena's jaws to drop as they question Raphael if this was his "handy work" a remark that caused him to laugh as he asks Ash and, Serena; "And if I did?" before Ash & Serena could respond to this Katie responded in anger "No you're lying... I don't believe you!" Smiling at her childhood innocence Raphael tells the princess to believe whatever she wants as he commands his pokemon to attack again while Ash & Serena order a counter attack causing smoke to build once again as Raphael decides to himself that now was the time to see whether Ash and Serena would take his bait so within a few seconds he recalls his pokemon and vanishes before there was even a chance for the smoke to clear out. After seeing the smoke clear out and Raphael gone both Ash and Serena's level of concern increases while Katie on the other hand determined not to let Raphael get away with murdering her parents runs out of the senate chamber after him causing Ash and Serena to yell out in concern "not to do it and it was too dangerous" before chasing after Katie in fear that she'd wind up like her parents if they didn't protect her.  
Meanwhile With Katie:  
"Raphael show yourself you coward" Katie demands in a loud confident voice but as the princess continues chasing Raphael who seems to have vanished without a trace she's interrupted by a "familiar voice" to her "Hello Sister" causing Katie to stop dead in her tracks as she stares down one of the palaces corridors where she's a short tan colored skin and jet black hair walking towards her it was her brother the prince of Tempalizin who unknown to her shared a striking resemblance to Ash and Serena's son; Kenny... "Kenneth!?" Katie calls out to the boy walking towards her still in disbelief that her brother was still alive but as Katie continues towards him she hears a strange demand from her brother; "Back Off!" causing Katie to step back momentarily as she questions her brother about what has gotten into him!

Meanwhile Back With Ash & Serena:

As Serena continues searching for Katie in the west side of the palace while Ash searches for her in the east side Serena couldn't help but think to herself how stupid Katie was for chasing after Raphael like that on her own as she continues crying out; "Katie where are you!?" but before she could get an answer Serena hears Ash's voice; "there you are" causing Serena to look at ash with a concerned face as she stutters out his name; as Ash asks her if she had found Katie yet which all Serena could do was nod no to as she asks Ash the same question to which Ash's answer was the same; "No"

Meanwhile With Katie & Kenneth:

"Battle me sister!" Kenneth demanded with a serious and confident tone of voice as Katie continues to push back against his brother in confusion as to why he was acting this way. To which Kenneth responded to in a "Cold distant voice" "well with mom and dad gone someone has to run things!" causing the princess to leap back in disbelief as she begins to question her brother "You don't honestly believe that do you!?" as her brother responds to her in a whisper "And with you out of the way I'll get everything!" a statement which concluded with Raphael appearing from the shadows behind them much to Katie's horror her brother was now a traitor who has abandoned her and everything her parents stood for as Raphael asks the princess whether she'd battle her brother or not as Katie begins to cry wondering how her brother could do this to her but there wasn't time to ponder this for too long as she reaches into the pocket of her flannel coat and pulls out a Pokeball as she proclaims "Let's get this show on the road!" while in her head the only thing she could say is "Mom, Dad I'll make you proud!" before staring at Raphael and says to herself "as for you Raphael... Ash... Serena... please hurry!" before tossing her Pokeball into the air calling on her "Precious Partner" Sylveon which caused her brother to laugh which Katie found odd considering that her Sylveon is considered to be the strongest non divine dragon Pokemon on the Dimensional Plain as her brother begins to taunt her "Really Katie you're still relying on your standard companions!" a Proclamation which confused her as she watched her brother lift his arm towards the sky as he shouts "Primus show yourself!" causing the sky to darken and the ground to shake as a white beam of light shoots down from the sky revealing a "white Dragon with glowing red eyes" it was Primus the divine guardian dragon of energy after staring down the dragon Katie quickly turns her attention back to her brother asking... no demanding to know how he did that because their parents... Ash & Serena's different dimensional counterparts never taught them how to do that but clearly Kenneth wasn't in the mood to explain as he commands Primus to blast his sisters Sylveon with "Primal Energy Burst" As the blast materializes in Primus' jaws and fires at Sylveon Katie orders Sylveon to dodge it while in a panic as Raphael criticizes her brother for not being able to finish them off to which the prince turns to the warlord he's "working with" telling him to "can it before I sick Primus on you!" before turning back to his sister and orders Primus to attack them again but this time Katie orders Sylveon to counter with fairy wind which Sylveon does as Primus attacks again and once again when fairy wind and primal energy bursts collide causing smoke to build again as Katie screams out to her partner in concern hoping that she's alright! After a couple more tense moments the smoke from the battle had cleared out revealing that Katie's beloved Sylveon had been defeated causing Raphael who was watching all this just mutters to himself "It's over" as Kenneth just says in a firm and confident tone of voice "that's that.." as Katie runs to Sylveon taking her beloved partner in her arms before focusing back on her brother and assuring him; "Not to do this; it's not too late" these pleas didn't faze her brother as he continues towards her however the silence was quickly interrupted by Serena who witnessed the smoke going up from the battle yelling out to her "Katie... are you okay" seeing Serena immediately causes Kenneth to inquire "who the hell Serena was!?" while Raphael begins to grow concerned urging Kenneth to "hurry and finish his sister off" as Ash comes running behind Serena as Serena arrives next to Katie to check on her while Ash looks over not just to Kenneth but also the White colored dragon flying behind him as both Ash and Serena ask what that dragon was and while holding Sylveon in her arms Katie answers the question "That's Primus..." "The Guardian Dragon of Energy" after hearing this Ash & Serena just repeats what Katie said in a hushed whisper "Primus..." "The Guardian Dragon of Energy" but almost immediately their focus shifted back to Kenneth and ask Katie if she knew who he was; this question caused Katie to sigh; "That's Kenneth my brother... The Prince of Tempalizin..." as Ash turns to Serena and says; "he looks like Kenny; Serena!" As Serena looks back to Katie and asks her; "if that was her brother that went missing!?" to which Katie answered back; "That he was" before Kenneth addressed Ash & Serena for the first time; "Listen I don't know who you are, but if you insist on siding with my sister you can die at the hands of the gods with her!" Hearing The prince's "threat" Ash immediately got up and interjected "Not if I have anything to say about it" as his auburn eyes lock on to Primus while Katie looks up to Serena and whispers to her "Serena..." Seeing and hearing this Serena reassures the princess that it'd be okay as Kenneth orders Primus to attack them but not before Ash and Serena call out for two "Divine Dragons of their own" "Osiris... Phoenix Dragon..." upon calling the names of these two dragons the sky begins to darken as they appear and materialize in the sky taking Kenneth by surprise who really didn't know how to answer that as Ash commands Osiris and Phoenix Dragon to protect Katie and Serena which they do by moving in front of them as the use their telepathy to ask Primus what he thought he was doing; to which he answered back "Saving our brothers" as Ash goes to check on Katie and Serena as Kenneth stands there and says to himself; "That's Impossible... with mom and dad gone... only I should be able to use the guardian titans." While contemplating this in his brain the legendary guardian titans begin to converse with each other using their telepathy "Brother what do you think you're doing!?" Osiris asks Primus who was quick to reply; "Me and these humans are trying to rescue Dragonus!" this revelation had taken both Osiris and Phoenix Dragon by surprise who demand there brother tell them more while Primus is explaining to his brothers what happening Raphael continues to stare on as he reaches for his communicator which he uses to start a discussion with the Grandmaster; "That's right Osiris and Phoenix Dragon are here; Kenneth is doing a great job in drawing them out. This statement was obviously refreshing to the Grandmaster which even Raphael could tell from the change in his voice; "excellent they'll join Dragonus soon enough!"  
Meanwhile back with The Others:  
"The Grandmaster!?" Osiris and Phoenix Dragon reply using their telepathy obviously stunned by Primus' story as they try to convince him that they think he was on the wrong side but before they could tell him about Ash and Serena Primus dismissed their reason as lies as he opened his jaw and a "white energy stream" materialized and it quickly became obvious that he was aiming to attack Serena and Katie again in a moment of Terror Serena immediately made the decision to protect Katie by jumping on top off her taking her to the ground while Ash on the other hand grew extremely anxious and worried for mostly Serena's safety but Katie's too in this confusion Osiris and Phoenix Dragon moved to counter Primus' blast to save all of them when these three powerful attacks collided again a heavy burst of smoke began to rise obscuring the view of everything but Kenneth, Primus and Raphael took this chance to "make a clean getaway" as the smoke cleared Ash took this time to check on everyone and to make sure they were safe; Ash then came up to Serena and pulled her into his arms before kissing her and wiping away a "mud smear" from her face while Katie began to wonder to herself; "why her brother would do this" before any of them could finish their moments Osiris and Phoenix Dragon interrupted them; "Ash... Serena... we have a big problem." This worried Ash and Serena who were all too quick to make comments on this  
Ash: oh no...  
Serena: Now what...  
Before going into too much more detail Osiris and Phoenix Dragon call out to the others Solarois and Mirror Wall Dragon to emerge and join them after doing so tow beams of light hit the ground revealing a red skinned dragon (Solarois) and a silver-ish white four winged dragon "Mirror Wall Dragon" with everyone gathered Osiris and Phoenix Dragon revealed to everyone what they were just told about Dragonus being kidnapped; thinking about this Serena began to think about something as she slowly turned to Ash and asked him "Do you think those lights in the sky in Alola before we came here; could've been Dragonus crying out for help!?" Ash thought about and replied to Serena; "It very well could have been!" After hearing that Serena began beating herself up wondering how they could've been so stupid to overlook that while Ash and Serena were discussing this Katie cautiously approached her Dimensions "Gods" and asked them the one question that had been burned into her mind for some time now: "Are my parents really..." she says before gulping and resuming her question "Really... Gone!?" the four dragons looked down at the princess fully aware that what they were going to say would break the little girl's heart" "Yes Princess..." Osiris responds followed shortly by Phoenix Dragon who reassured their sympathy for her as they were just as close to her parents. Phoenix Dragon then turned to Ash and Serena who now were both of their worlds only hope for survival and tells them that they need to "work fast, and find their brothers before any more of them were captured." which to Ash and Serena sounded like a reasonable request but they still wanted to know one more thing as they proceeded to ask the legendary dragons "exactly how many of them were there" to which they responded "not including us four, Primus, and, Dragonus; there is Gorath, Olympus, Dagon and Contemillia! Hearing this Ash and Serena were determined to get started but before that Katie who had been standing there in stunned silence tells them; "Ash... Serena... I want to come with you... I want to help you!" a statement that made both Ash and Serena uncomfortable about this mostly because of the princess's safety with her parents, Ash and Serena's Different Dimensional Counterparts were gone, They felt that the princess and her safety were now in their hands they couldn't stomach the thought of how they'd feel if something happened to her but the princess who at this point was now determined that she was going no matter what convinces them by explaining that her mom and dad would want her to help Ash and Serena put an end to this and restore peace not to mention that as "the local" she knew more about this land than both Ash and Serena combined after hearing the princess' moving Speech Ash and Serena finally agreed although somewhat reluctantly as the Guardian Titans withdrawal and fade away leaving Ash, Serena and now, Katie to set off on this new adventure together!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:  
after hearing these instruction from Osiris the guardian of the sky and phoenix dragon guardian of the sun ash and Serena turn to one another as they say to each other in unison "now to find the others" this was followed shortly by princess Katie who just softly muttered out "right" this caused Serena to look down to the honey blonde haired girl who resembled her own daughter and asks her in a tone of voice which sounded so sincere and concerned it was almost as if she was talking to her own daughter; seeing Serena acting this way immediately caused Katie to relax as if it was her own mother talking to her and reassuring her causing the princess to turn to Serena and nod as she says "yeah I'm fine in a sincere and serious tone which was very reassuring to Serena who deep down had begun to develop a "bond" with the princess while ash on the other hand turns his attention to Osiris and the others asking them if they knew where to find their brothers Osiris took a pause to this question before he used his telepathy again to answer ash "we may be able to find Olympus in the west mountains" hearing this caused Serena to whisper under her breath "the west mountains" while ash asks the dragons how far away these mountains really were to which mirror wall dragon used his own telepathy to respond; "they're about a three day hike away!" this caused the princess to sigh out very similar to the way Serena just did "three days" while ash responds by turning to Katie and Serena and suggest that we better get moving while Serena just nods and says to him "right ash" as the three of them set off and begin the long hike for the west mountains after about four hours of walking the sun started to go down which combined with the cool late day breeze cooled the three of them off but didn't do much for their exhaustion which even Serena could tell was tiring ash out because after their countless adventures and years of being his partner Serena had never seen him get this tired the drive to get both of them home had pushed ash to just ignore the exhaustion was the only thing Serena could think of to explain it that's when she suggested that they all should stop for the night and have something to eat which was a relief to both ash and the princess who were both extremely famished while Pikachu on the other hand was so thankful to Serena for the suggestion he jumped off Ash's shoulder and right into her arms even to the point where he started to kiss her on the cheek with happiness an action which did make Serena laugh as she assured Pikachu that this was quite enough as she set the little electric mouse down as she began to dig in her bag for her apron as well as some ingredients she brought with them from Tempalizin after about 10 more minutes Serena had brought out sandwiches for everyone as well as some soup and while it wasn't anything fancy it was more than enough to at least fill their stomachs after a long day of hiking but before they dug in both Serena and ash felt it was important to introduce all the members of their current team to Katie as she was going to be with them for a while and with all the introductions out of the way the traveling party began to "dig in" eventually the princess began to grow tired because although she was determined to stay strong for her "passed" parents one thing even she couldn't overcome was her age so Serena helped the princess over to the tent and put her to bed and after making sure she was fast asleep Serena returned to ash who was sitting by the campfire with Pikachu Serena then walked over to ash and leaned her head on his shoulder an action which just caused ash to smile and hug her before she sat up again and began talking to ash; asking him if he thought Katie would be alright ash could tell Serena was forming a bond with the princess and assures her that she'd be okay she just needs time; especially after all she's gone through this caused Serena to whisper to ash; "yeah i can't imagine what it must be like for her losing her parents and finding out that her own brother wants her dead all in the same day" revelations that made both ash and Serena realize just how "crazy and insane!?" their new adventure has become a thought which once again required both of them to reassure one another that they'd get through this together just like they always do after these reassurances Serena couldn't resist the urge to lean over and kiss ash something she hadn't done for a while as she continues once again to rest her head on his shoulder while ash just pulls Serena in and begins to cress her side with his hand in attempt to try and make her feel better as they continued to sit and watch the campfire continue to burn together with the full moon shining bright above their heads.

The following morning:  
as ash, Serena and, Katie awake to another cool damp morning on the dimensional plain miles away from Tempalizin the capitol city their day begins very similar to the days when ash & Serena traveled the Kalos region with their friends Clemont and bonnie all those years ago however Serena noticed that Katie seemed unusually quiet something that deep down was truly bothering her. Ash then turns to both of them and asks them if they are ready to go? Serena just answered ash with a yes in her normal charismatic tone of voice while Katie on the other hand answered the question with a "yeah" in an almost inaudible tone of voice which immediately caused Serena to walk over to the princess and place her hand on her shoulder and ask her if she wanted to talk about it. An action that clearly caught Katie off guard as she begins to think to herself about; how amazing ash & Serena are and how they were treating her just like her parents and probably the most surreal feeling that feels like her parents were still here with her. this causes Katie to turn to Serena but before she could even get one word out they were interrupted by a rustling in the bushes which caused Katie to go quiet again as she whispers to Serena; "what was that?" but unable to answer and fearing that it could be Raphael or even Katie's brother the "rouge prince" ash just calls out; "show yourself" with Serena quickly following ash's lead; "come out" after Serena finishes her demand they notice a orange & grey colored creature coming out of the bushes and onto the path in front of them and much to ash and Serena's relief it was just a "regular" pokemon ryperior but that relief didn't last long as ryperior began to charge them which forced ash and Serena's hand as Serena nudges Katie to get behind her before reaching into her pocket for Braixen's PokéBall and calling out her best friend Braixen and asking her to use her flamethrower attack while ash commands Pikachu to use his thunderbolt attack in tandem with Braixen's flamethrower which both hit ryperior but didn't inflict enough damage to overwhelm it which was apparent as it continued to stand there un-phased the tense moment of silence didn't last long however as the ground began to shake and while feeling the ground trembling ash and Serena could quite believe what they were witnessing as a large white creature appears from the ground behind ryperior and uses its "blade like arm" to send ryperior flying into the horizon after the shock from seeing this wore off ash and Serena quickly realized that it was him the same creature they saw in Alola with Lillie before being sent to the dimensional plain the sight of this behemoth at first caught ash, Serena and even, Katie off guard but that went away as soon as Katie broke the silence by looking to ash & Serena who were both staring straight up in awe and tells them; "it Gorath the guardian titan of destruction!" Katie's statement didn't cause ash and Serena to look at her though as they continue to look up and Serena just reiterates what the princess had just said... "the guardian titan of destruction!?" while ash begins to shout up to the guardian of destruction in hopes that he'd hear him from all the way on the ground; "Gorath!" and to ash's amazement Gorath's gaze wonders downwards to him as ash continues to shout up to him; "we need to talk to you!" while Serena who has realized they now have his full attention adds on to what ash just said; "please" Gorath answers the what to him seemed like ant sized dots using his telepathy; "very well and you are!?" after hearing the guardians request that they identify themselves ash, Serena and, Katie happily obliged...  
Ash: my name's ash...  
Serena: and I'm Serena...  
Katie: my names Katie princess of Tempalizin...  
Katie's statement caused Gorath to stop for a second as he confirms that he heard her right that she was the princess of Tempalizin which Katie says that was right; while ash felt it was necessary to get down to the business at hand as both him and Serena inform the guardian of destruction inform him that his brother Dragonus had been kidnapped news that Gorath didn't take to well which of course when ash & Serena realize they hadn't thought this through as he angrily asserted that ash, Serena and, Katie were responsible a fact that just wasn't true and when they tried to reinforce this Gorath begins to assume they're lying to him and in a fit of rage lifts his giant blade shaped arm up and swings it towards them and as a reaction ash runs over to Serena and holds her close to him as Katie runs over and clings to them both as they all close their eyes and begin to cower as they believe that they are just moments away from quite literally "feeling god's wrath" but that when they heard another voice calling out in telepathy; "enough" this voice seemed to be enough to halt Gorath's rage as the skies begin to blacken and the terrain surrounding them began to violently shake that when the voice called out once more this time in a gold-ish colored glow emanating down from the sky "that's enough brother!" after those words were spoken it was only a couple more tense seconds until a flame began to appear it was the guardian of the sun phoenix dragon! phoenix dragons presence clearly confused Gorath as he begins to question why his own brother would appear and defend these humans but phoenix dragon on the other hand realized that fighting was futile... just as futile as this discussion would be so he gives his brother only one demand; "now's not the time brother, just hear them out..." "they're here helping us!?" this demand/revelation clearly just added to his confusion as he looks to phoenix dragon; then to ash, Serena and, Katie as he reiterates what phoenix dragon had just said; "helping us!?" that's when ash and Serena began to shout up to the tall white creature; "listen if we're going to save Dragonus we'll need your help!" Gorath who still wasn't entirely convinced listened to ash and Serena but still hadn't made a decision on whether he'd actually help them or not and it was right about this time a whitish glow illuminates from the tree line as primus and Kenneth appear this caused ash, Serena and, Katie to lean back a bit as primus began to use his telepathy to communicate to his brother "what are you doing!?" to which Gorath answered back to his brother "i was about ready to help these humans search for our missing brother" a revelation that didn't please primus as evidence by his response "why would you do that; they don't care about Dragonus or us they only care about themselves" this not only confused Gorath but infuriated ash and Serena who rushed to try and convince Gorath that wasn't true and in the confusion Kenneth began to approach his sister and asked her "if she was ready to die?" this stunned Katie in silence so her brother proceeded to answer his own question for her "I'll take that as a yes" as he reaches for a Pokèball and calls out his ryperior and ordering it to use his hyper beam on Katie who was still in paralysis from her own shock and fear she didn't even attempt to move as ryperiors hyper beam charged up and then discharged causing Serena to once again grow fearful for the princesses safety as she starts running to her in attempt to remove Katie from danger. while Gorath turns to his own brother and demanded to know what he was doing and further more violating Dragonus' philosophy of leaving "innocent humans" alone to which primus replies by pointing out that it "wasn't him but the human" but Gorath wouldn't take this "crap" as an excuse after all primus has partnered with this human who was clearly violating their philosophy but as the two divine guardians continued to argue over Kenneth's actions Katie and Serena were about to feel his actions as that hyper beam continued heading right towards them but not just Katie and Serena but now ash who had ran after Serena to help her and make sure that she didn't get hurt in the process; but the princess was trying to urge ash and Serena to not worry about her and to get back something ash and Serena weren't about to do as they explain to the princess that they "weren't about to let her get hurt!" and as that hyper beam comes closer to them Gorath makes his decision right then and there that he could not and would not watch anymore of this as he slams his blade like arm into the ground in front of ash, Serena and, Katie as a makeshift shield to deflect the blast which caused a heavy black smoke to build and hug the ground obstructing everyone's view as phoenix dragon calls out to his friends, partners, family and, comrades to make sure they were all alright! as Kenny proudly exclaims "finally my annoying sister is out of the way which means i now rule!" but for the guardian of the sun terror soon changed to relief as he sees the smoke clearing out revealing that his comrades and brother Gorath were all okay; " Serena are you okay" ash asks Serena with a look of concern on his face as Serena responds; "yeah ash I'm fine; how about you Katie?" to which the princess just looks at her still in awe over what happened responds to Serena; "I'm fine thank you" the fact that they all survived clearly angered Kenneth as he shouts "what the hell" across the field to which as and Serena just responded with a sarcastic "don't thank us thank Gorath" this infuriated the "rogue prince" as Gorath assured ash and Serena that he would indeed help them in their mission to save Dragonus! after hearing that the guardian of destruction was now on their side ash turns to lock his auburn eyes with Serena's blue eyes and it's like their connection allowed them both to sense what the other was thinking as they each call out Pikachu and Braixen respectively to defeat ryperior with one more combo attack seeing this primus couldn't help but be angry at his brother as he uses his telepathy to call out "if you won't side with us you can die with them!" but before primus could launch his attack both ash and Serena commanded both phoenix dragon and now for the first time Gorath to attack primus together however today was clearly not the day fate had in store for them to defeat Kenneth and primus who had both once again "vanished without a trace" this did concern ash and Serena but for now the danger was gone and it now has become a fight for another day after realizing this they both turned to Gorath and thanked the guardian of destruction for all of his help to which Gorath returned with " your welcome now; if you ever need me just call!" ash and Serena both nodded in acknowledgment of these instructions before phoenix dragon turned to his brother and suggest they go as the two divine dragons fade away in the sky back to their home and with Gorath and phoenix dragon gone Serena ran over to ash and hugged him thanking him for protecting her as ash assured Serena that he was just glad she was okay as the young trainers share a brief kiss. After a few moments of silence though both ash and Serena were interrupted by the sound of Katie's voice; "ash... Serena..." hearing their names caused both of them to turn their attention to the princess and ask her what was wrong and it was then Katie decided to ask a question that frankly she's wanted to ask both of them for a while now; "back there when you protected me..." before the princess could finish she was interrupted by both ash and Serena who asked her; "yeah?" almost simultaneously, that's when the princess finished her question; "why did you do that?" the princess's question clearly caught ash & Serena off guard as they lean back a little before answering her; "Katie; we weren't about to sit back and let you get hurt" ash started off as his thought was finished off by Serena; "we're not those kind of people!" and although both ash and Serena couldn't have possibly been more genuine, sincere and, truthful about those statements the princess "didn't by it and could tell something was off." as she informs them that she could tell that they were hiding something. as she asks them; "there's another reason isn't there?" the princess's question confused ash and Serena as ash quickly tried to deny that there wasn't anything else but Serena on the other hand realized that denying that there wasn't another reason was "pointless and just not true" as she walks over next to ash and whispers to him; "ash we may as well tell her the truth" ash reluctantly nods to Serena as he asks Katie one last question; "you're right Katie there is another reason but if we tell you why will you promise not to laugh!?" in what may have been the most serious tone the princess had ever come from ash. so Katie agrees to not laugh as her new friends finally open up about why they had been taking "special care" of her; as ash begun in a quiet tone of voice; "well Katie..." followed by Serena who was almost just as quiet; "you remind us of..." as ash joins her to finish their revelation to Katie "our daughter..." "You remind us of our daughter!?" Katie jumped back almost out of her skin hearing this as she reiterated; "i remind you of your daughter!?" this was just answered by ash and Serena with a quiet and solemn "yes" as Serena reaches into her pocket and pulls out her digital assistant and brings up a photo of Kate before sliding it in front of Katie while telling her; "Katie this is our daughter Kate!" As she stares at the picture it felt to her like he was looking in a mirror as she exclaims; "no way... that's... that's... me!?" while still trying to process this. ash begins to explain to the princess; "Katie we're positive that you are our daughter's different dimensional counterpart!" as she continues to "stare like a deer in the headlights" while she comes to grips with the fact that ash and Serena are right and that this is most likely true as she mutters out; "this does explain so much" after several minutes of trying to digest this "their moment" was interrupted by a "rustling" coming from the woods surrounding them fearing that it could be Kenneth... Raphael... or worse ash wasted no time in demanding that whoever was there to; "show yourself!" that's when an elder gentlemen comes walking out of the tree line and approaches them as Serena asks this stranger who he was; my name's Jacob leader of the guardian research group; ash and Serena still in a state of confusion reiterate; "the guardian research group!?" as Jacob answers them; "that's correct the king & queen created our group after they met you, back when the guardian titans found you & your world!" this just made a confusing situation for ash and Serena even more confusing as Jacob goes on talking; that's right see our group discovered that the world was split into two, yours which was more technologically advance & the amazing creatures known as pokemon thousands of them, and ours less technologically advanced & little or no pokemon plus the ten guardian titans!" ash and Serena were both completely amazed by this in less than five minutes "a lot of their questions had been answered; despite more being raised!" luckily for them however Jacob continued to go on and explain more to them; "two worlds vastly different but both relying on the other for survival linked together by two different but at the same time the same family, yours ash and Serena and the former king & queen." upon hearing the word "former" Katie who was still grieving over her parents just upset Katie as she walks over and began hugging Serena, although it wasn't the same Katie still needed someone to hold onto and although she couldn't explain why she went to Serena or why Serena made her feel comfortable in her sadness an embrace that felt awkward to Serena but if it made Katie feel better she was perfectly fine with it as she begins to hug the princess back. Ash on the other hand continued to ask Jacob questions to try and see what else he knows; "so Jacob Raphael & the grandmaster?" Jacob could deny the fact that he knows what's happening so he answers ash's question; "they plan on destroying this less advanced world and bring it's people into yours, under one rule; one cemented under the guardian titans "unlimited divine power!" after hearing this ash and Serena began "piecing what has been going on together; so that's why they captured Dragonus, he has the power to make it happen!" this however wasn't entirely accurate though there was more going on and Jacob became compelled to tell them this; "not exactly you see even though Dragonus is the un-definitive ruler of the guardian titans, his power can't do something like that alone." after hearing that ash and Serena were able to take a pretty good guess as to what was happening now; "and that's why they need more of the others!?" to which Jacob answered "exactly!" now realizing the stakes ash turned to Serena and Katie to talk to them; "that just shows that we need to find the others & save Dragonus!" Serena knew ash was right and didn't hesitate in telling him so while Katie looks at ash and Serena and told them; "that she looked forward to helping them anyway that she can" ash and Serena appreciated the gesture as they thanked her before turning to Jacob intending to thank him for answering their questions but when they turned around to do so they were amazed to see that Jacob was gone! The three of them were just staring at an open field trying to figure out where this mysterious man had gone.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight  
"He's gone" ash muttered out as they realize that Jacob had disappeared into thin air still in shock over what him and Serena had just learned and that's when Serena snapped him back to reality insisting that they needed to find the others and that's when Serena turned to the princess and asked her; "Katie do you know where we could find the others?" the princess thought about Serena's question for a second before answering her "well; Olympus the guardian of the night is said to live in a cave on nightmare mountain!" ash and Serena both slightly unnerved by the princess's revelation just stand there as Katie continues on telling them that nightmare mountain was about a three hour walk to the north of here." while ash just reiterates this by muttering out; "three hours huh!?" while Serena who was still unnerved by this just says; "wait nightmare mountain!?" Katie just answered this reiteration by saying "it's not that far from here!" ash's attention wasn't on this however; his attention was on Serena who he could tell was still un-nerved by this as he begins to assure Serena that he "wouldn't let anything happen to her and that he'd protect her" as he places his hand on her shoulder. This did in fact calm Serena's nerves as she begins to think to herself that this is why she loves ash. Feeling slightly relieved their small traveling party begins its trek towards nightmare mountain with Katie leading the way.

A few minutes later:

"Nightmare mountain huh!?" Kenneth whispers to himself as he pulls out a communicator to ask Raphael if he heard that to which the warlord answers; "yes they're heading to nightmare mountain to see Olympus; a suicide mission!" after receiving his answer Kenneth asked Raphael what he should do next and that's when Raphael gave him the following instructions; "I'm on my way to nightmare mountain; follow them, but do not engage until i meet up with you keep your distance!" upon hearing these instructions Kenneth became infuriated as he replies to Raphael; "fine!" as he powers down his communicator before taking off down the same trail that his sister lead ash and Serena down just a few short minutes ago.

Back with ash, Serena and, Katie:

as ash, Serena and, Katie continue on down the path towards nightmare mountain they all noticed something strange; "it's getting dark already?" ash asked Serena and Katie with some confusion before Serena replies to him; "i guess so; so why don't we make camp for the night?" an idea which ash was quick to agree to so upon finding a clearing along the trail the three of them stop as ash and Pikachu begin collecting firewood while Serena and Katie work on setting camp up once their tents were setup and the campfire now burning thanks to Braixen once they were all sitting around the campfire ash and Serena both began to wonder why it got dark so fast not to mention so early; hearing this and remembering that neither ash or Serena was from here made Katie realize that she should probably tell her new friends why. ash... Serena... the princess addressed them in a quiet tone of voice this caused both of them to face her now realizing that she now has their full attention Katie begins to answer their questions; "that's because we're approaching nightmare mountain; Olympus' home "hearing this ash and Serena took full advantage of the moment of silence as they ask Katie; "why is that important Katie...?" and that's when Katie began to tell her story;

Katie's story begins:

a long time ago Olympus & phoenix dragon got into a legendary battle that turned "into a war of attrition between them"; this battle lasted for decades and the constant struggle between light & dark, night & day to which each divine dragon respectfully controlled, caused confusion chaos and, suffering so the human residents of the dimensional plain formed a party and went to try & stop the conflict between the guardians of light & dark but instead of stopping the fighting they accidently got caught in the cross fire causing a lot of them getting cut down! this infuriated Dragonus who although despised humans felt the senseless loss of life was unacceptable; so he intervened to end the argument between Olympus & phoenix dragon however Olympus demanded that phoenix dragon never return to this area again, phoenix dragon agreed to this request to never appear here again and as a result the sun never rises here!  
Katie's story ends:  
after hearing Katie's story ash and Serena just continue to sit there in "stunned silence" before ash finally breaking the "still quiet air" "wow so that's why there is no sun here" while Serena followed up by muttering in a quiet voice; "that's awful" after a few more minutes of silence ash and Serena could hear Katie's voice as she agrees with them but unfortunately had to tell ash & Serena one more thing; "we do have another problem" this caught both ash and Serena's attention immediately mostly because the last thing they need was "another problem" now seeing that she had ash and Serena's full attention the princess begins to explain their dilemma; "we need to convince Olympus to help us save Dragonus" ash and Serena look to each other after hearing that clearly not understanding where Katie was going with this so she decided that she needed to say more. "But you two command phoenix dragon, the one guardian titan that tried to wage war with it and, knowing this I'm not sure Olympus will be too quick to help us." Serena then understood where Katie was coming from and realized the princess may have a point but before Serena could say anything ash stood up and was quick to assure them both that Olympus would help them if they explained what was going on." and although she showed some doubt ash's words quickly changed Serena's mind so she was now convinced that they could do this. Katie on the other hand though still wasn't convinced that Olympus would help them at all. and it was after that ash suggested they all get some sleep but that didn't last long as a long, loud and, slow screech which immediately woke Serena up causing her to nervously run over to ash and shook him trying to wake him up "ash.. Ash..." Serena's actions awoke ash as she begins to ask him if he had heard that at first ash had no idea what she was talking about until that same screech happened again this time heard by not just Serena but ash and Katie as they all leave their tents staring out into the pitch black forest unable to see what that noise is and fearing an ambush ash decided they needed a light to see at first he thought about asking Serena to call out Braixen but then he realized that Braixen's flame wouldn't be bright enough to light up the whole area and it was then he made a decision. While Serena could tell ash was thinking of something so out of curiosity asked ash what he was planning to which ash answered; "the one being who can bring light here!" Serena grew nervous at ash's statement mostly because she still had Katie's story in the back of her mind but before she could attempt to talk ash out of it ash make's the call "come phoenix dragon" that's when Serena fearful of what this would cause begged ash not to do but ash reaffirmed his belief that he had no choice as phoenix dragon began to descend from the sky causing rays of light to break through the clouds surrounding him and for the first time in almost a century the sun which phoenix dragon controls shines on nightmare mountain and the surrounding valley. although Serena was nervous about this both her and Katie seemed relieved that nothing had happened because of phoenix dragons presence now feeling better about this they began to "scan the tree line" for the source of that noise and there in the tree line was a "crystal colored dragon" it was primus with Kenneth by his side which was meat by anger from ash and Serena; "Kenneth!" while the princess on the other hand just mutters out; "brother!?" in a confused tone of voice to which Kenneth responded; "hello sister!" seeing her brother here Katie immediately takes the initiative in demanding to know why her brother was here and to that Kenneth answers in a very sarcastic tone of voice; "what do you think sister we're looking for Olympus; so he can assist us in our plan" to that Kenneth got a strong reply from ash and Serena who informed him that "wasn't going to happen" but no sooner did the word "happen" escape ash and Serena's minds that a loud screech cuts through the air like a hot knife through butter causing confusion for ash and Serena while next to them Katie began to quiver in fear knowing what was about to happen and it was the very thing she tried to warn Ash and Serena about but just as the sight and sound of thunder and lightning began to break the silence Kenneth manages to quietly slip into the woods figuring that he'd just let what's about to happen; happen and after just a few seconds a strong telepathically broadcasted voice broke the air "phoenix dragon; what are you doing here brother, you know you're not welcome here! And it was then the silhouette of another divine dragon appeared this one having a pale purple colored skin covering its body which was only visible to ash and Serena's eyes thanks to phoenix dragon. It was Olympus the guardian of night & darkness. phoenix dragon then decided to use his own telepathy to communicate with his brother; "oh come on you're still upset about that!?" but Olympus still wasn't about to drop this as they had a mission to complete and every second he spent uselessly fighting his brother wise time wasted and just as Olympus finished saying; "I'm furious & you promised to never return here!" it was then phoenix dragon couldn't hold his thoughts anymore as he brutally lashed out at his brother "would you relax we've got a bigger problem!" an action Olympus was not amused by as he had already determined to himself because of his feud every word his brother tried to say was nothing but "lies" and it was then that ash and Serena stepped in to try and get the warring dragons to calm down which ended up having the opposite effect on Olympus as he launches an attack at ash and Serena as he cursed them to die while phoenix dragon continued to hover in the air above them and it was then ash, Serena and, Katie began to hold on tight to one another as they all feared they were within only a few seconds of their demise; however before they met this attack the sky was rocked by another telepathically voice "this has gone far enough!" and it was then a silverish white "quad winged dragon" appeared before everyone shielding ash, Serena and, Katie from the blast and it was then Olympus began to question his brother; "mirror wall dragon!?" "get lost; this doesn't concern you!" still driven by his anger at phoenix dragon and it was at this point mirror wall dragon decided to correct his "disgruntled brother" "actually it does!" intrigued by this Olympus demands his brother "go on." so mirror wall dragon felt obliged to do so; "it's Dragonus" upon hearing their brothers name Olympus seemed to have grown more intensive as he begins to question his brother more about what's going on and it was then mirror wall dragon explains to Olympus about their brothers capture, infuriated over this news Olympus turns his attention once again to ash, Serena and, Katie and asked if they were responsible to which mirror wall dragon and phoenix dragon were quick to ensure Olympus that they weren't and that to the contrary they were actually helping them." hearing this Olympus just floats there still "un-convinced" about this he hears mirror wall dragon one more time; "are you going to help them?" but rather than answer that question Olympus addresses them all "leave all of you!" before turning his attention back to phoenix dragon and tells him; "phoenix dragon we'll finish this another day" however; nobody seemed to move not wanting to take Olympus's response as an answer infuriated Olympus once again demands that everyone leave; but this time it was ash who spoke up and told the guardian of darkness; "alright Olympus we'll go" before turning away confused Serena and Katie try to convince ash that they can't leave yet to which as answered by saying; "come on everyone we can't force him to help us" realizing her husband was right Serena puts her hand on Katie's shoulder as they start to traverse out of the valley but before leaving ash turned to Olympus as he had one more thing to say to him; "Olympus i hope you change your mind to help us; Dragonus could really use your help!" before turning around to join Serena and Katie. With everyone gone Olympus begins to ponder ash's words he hears a voice coming from the darkened tree line; "Olympus" and it was then a figure could see emerging from the tree lines it was Katie's brother Kenneth! the presence of Kenneth confused the divine dragon as he begins to demand answers and it was then Kenneth responds; "for you to join us!?" the word "us" confused Olympus as Kenneth was there alone but more to the point he posed this question to the "naive" kid; "i wouldn't join those other humans to save Dragonus; what makes you think I'd help you? Hearing the obviously confused dragon's statement caused Kenneth to laugh as he says save Dragonus!? don't be ridiculous i don't want to save Dragonus!" this revelation confused Olympus as he demanded to know why he was there and it was then Kenneth restated his earlier demand; "to join us" but once again Olympus pointed out in confusion; "us!? But you're by yourself" once those words were spoken the silence was broken by another telepathic voice; "not quite" and although it was a faint view Olympus could make out the outline of a crystal colored dragon; "primus!?" Olympus questioned the outline of his brother to which primus responds; "that's right and we want you to help us get rid of the troublesome humans" hearing that primus only had one thing to say; the same thing he told the others earlier; "i think you had better leave!" but Kenneth had a better idea he purposes to Olympus; "then how about this; battle me & primus you win we leave and, if we win you have to help us" and while perhaps it was overconfidence speaking instead of his logic primus responds to primus and Kenneth; "do you not realize that without; phoenix dragon this valley turned to darkness again; where my power rains supreme!" seeing that Olympus will "foolishly" go through with this asks for conformation from Olympus that he accepts; to which Olympus responds "very well this won't take long!" as Kenneth looks to his partner primus and says to the guardian of energy; let's go! after staring down the guardian of darkness Kenneth orders primus to attack Olympus with primal energy burst but, not one to just "stand there" and be attacked Olympus quickly launches a fire blast from his jaws to counter with his own attack.

Meanwhile back with ash, Serena and, Katie:  
discouraged by what had just happened trying to talk Olympus into helping them Katie couldn't help but point out that she "had a feeling that would happen "Serena reached into her pocket and pulled out her digital assistant and opens up her photo app and her first picture which was of Kate and Kenny and began to tear up as she looks to ash and says; "we'll never get home now!" not wanting to see Serena cry ash quickly places his hand on her shoulder and assures her that they would get home but just as Serena began to calm down they hear a loud moan coming from behind them instantly breaking the silence Serena was quick to turn to ash and ask him; "what was that" because little did they know Olympus was in the middle of a battle with primus and it wasn't going well for Olympus and that's when Katie looks to ash and Serena and told them "that sounded like Olympus" now looking at the princess ash and Serena realize that she was right and agree they need to go back and check on him as the three of them take off full speed back the way they came and, after a few minutes they returned back to the pitch black valley of the west mountains discouraged that they were calling out to Olympus but not getting a response ash decides to once again call for the guardian of the sun phoenix dragon who emerged and with his presence light quickly bathed the valley allowing them all to see what was going on and much to their shock and horror they find Olympus on the ground limp and motionless as ash runs to the dragons side asking him if he was okay? Upon hearing that question escape his mouth ash quickly hears a reply "he'll live" and it was then their attention turns to the right where Kenneth was still standing. Katie decides one again to confront her brother as she asks him; "Kenneth don't tell me you..." before being cut off by her brother; "oh get over yourselves Olympus was just getting ready to join the winning side" Kenneth's statement not only confused ash and Serena but clearly infuriated the princess as Kenneth walks over to Olympus and pulls out a modified Pokeball from his pocket; ash and Serena could tell that it must've been adapted to work on the divine dragons by the new lines and attachments on the Pokeball as well as some sort of inscription in bright gold colored letters on it as Kenneth tells Olympus "now to honor our deal!" before using this Pokeball to trap Olympus. seeing the suffering Olympus went through and then his capture was too much for Serena to bear as she leans over to ash and begins to cry in his shoulder, as he wraps his arms around her but Katie on the other hand confronts her brother first buy calling him "despicable" which Kenneth just takes as a compliment before she stands in front of her brother blocking his exit and tells him that he "wasn't leaving" clearly no longer amused Kenneth dawns a more serious and deeper tone of voice as he warns his sister; "now you're in our way so step aside or else" the princess was eager to hold her ground and stop her brothers madness but she was interrupted by both ash and Serena who clearly disagreed with her idea; as ash tells Katie to "get back" followed by Serena who was still wiping the tears from her electric blue eyes; "he's not worth it" as ash again assures the princess that it can "be a fight for another day!" Katie clearly didn't agree as she starts to loudly mumble to herself as she moved aside so Kenneth could turn his back on them and walk the trail up and out of the valley. with Kenneth now gone ash instructs phoenix dragon to return which he did but unlike last time the dark skies cleared out and didn't return which wasn't normal around here since Olympus took up residence here; an event which Serena was quick to acknowledge and that was when Katie tells them that; "it was because Olympus was captured, which caused the darkness to fade away!" hearing this caused Serena to grow even more disgusted as she reaffirms Kenneth was "despicable" while the princess on the other hand assured herself in her head that "Kenneth wasn't going to get away with what he's done!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:  
Still in shock and horror over watching Olympus's capture Ash, Serena and Katie depart the valley of the west mountains and after what seemed like just a few moments Serena noticed the sun was going down and suggest they make camp but, while setting up camp not a single word was spoken as Katie was still furious over Kenneth and even more furious that she let Ash & Serena talk her out of stopping him. Eventually Katie fell asleep and after confirming this fact Serena returns to Ash who was watching the campfire while Serena tended to Katie but, once Katie was fast asleep Serena decided it was time to share with Ash what she had learned because what Ash didn't know was Serena had an idea awhile back before they left Tempalizin to chase after Raphael. "Katie's asleep Serena whispers to Ash as she returns to the campfire and Ash's side holding her bag in her hands something Ash didn't even notice; as he responds to Serena in kind by telling her; "That's good; to be honest I can't believe how well she's taking all this." A response Serena expected as she just hums and reaches into her pink bag and pulls out a medium sized book which looked really old and also had a rumpled up brown leather colored cover.  
Ash was intrigued by the item in his wife's hand as his attention turned back to Serena before asking her what that book was. Upon hearing Ash's question Serena responds to Ash by telling him; "It's a history book I borrowed from the royal library, more specifically a history book about the Dimensional Plain and Katie's family." Ash still was curious what was motivating Serena he couldn't help but ask his wife and partner why she had this book and, that's when Serena explains why she borrowed this book to Ash; "I thought maybe reading it would not only help us get home; but also maybe help us learn about Katie and her family our "Different Dimensional Counterparts"! Hearing this Ash couldn't help but ask Serena if she learned anything to which Serena just nods as she leans closer to Ash before she opens the book and begins to read its content to ash.

(Story begins "note this is being told in Serena's voice and Serena's point of view)

The Dimensional Plain was ruled by the Divine Dragons; Mirror Wall Dragon, Phoenix Dragon, Osiris, Solarois Along with; Dragonus, Contemillia, Dagon, Primus, Gorath and Olympus! They didn't particularly care for humans and tried to exterminate all of them on this plain! When two residents of The Dimensional Plain; Saito and Elizabeth a boy and girl only 10 years old at the time decided after watching their families cower in fear for centuries agreed they couldn't continue to live this way and, so they did something that was considered "suicidal" they left the safety of their village in order to confront the Divine Dragons in hopes they could convince them to not kill their friends, family and all they held dear including the few pokemon on the Dimensional Plain!

Story ends:

After finishing the first couple of pages Serena stopped reading so she could look at Ash to see if he had anything to say but, the only thing Ash had to say which was actually just a question; "So Katie's parents went to confront the Divine Dragons?" To which Serena responds with a quiet "yeah" before Ash asked Serena what happened next? After hearing this Serena turns her head and begins to look at the book before beginning to read again; well according to this...

(Story begins "note this is being told in Serena's voice and Serena's point of view)

After Saito and Elizabeth left their village they hiked out onto the vast expanses of The Dimensional Plain but; before they could reach the Mystical Dragons they were attacked! But all that attack did was bringing the childhood friends closer than ever before!

Story ends:

After hearing what happened to Katie's parents all Ash could respond with was a "really" while what Serena thought was strange; strange enough to mention to Ash was it doesn't say what happened to Katie's parents after that or that night. In fact it looked like it was torn out of the book by a female a Conclusion that was only able to be made because of the fingernail marks. Upon saying this Serena's face turned a light shade of pink because she had a feeling she knew what would have happened between them if it were her and Ash and if her hunch was right it was probably something best left out of the history books. After pushing that thought out of her head and not hearing anything else from Ash Serena decided to read on in hopes of preventing an awkward moment from happening...

(Story begins "note this is being told in Serena's voice and Serena's point of view)

The morning after that ambush; they arrived at the twin gate where the Divine Dragons lived and that's where they met Dragonus for the first time! but The Supreme King of The Divine Dragons wasn't too impressed with this human presence and angrily asks; "human scum why do you disgrace me and our kind with your presence!" but before they could ask anything from the ruler of the mystical dragons; they discovered that they were followed by a group of people from a neighboring village who followed Saito and Elizabeth when they found out they were planning to try and make peace with the Divine Dragons, but this group had no intention of making peace however, they wanted to try and destroy Dragonus so that humans could rule the dimensional plain again, rather than be ruled by the Divine Dragons! While Katie's parents (Saito and Elizabeth) were deciding what to do the group managed to attack Dragonus; and as they watched The Supreme King of The Divine Dragons get injured and fall from the sky they decided to step in by getting in front of Dragonus to protect him!  
Dragonus was touched by this action especially after what him and the other mystical dragons had done but what happened next is what shifted the hearts of the Divine Dragons because the mob that had gathered weren't about to abandon their mission and let Dragonus live especially as he lay helpless on the ground with only two people standing in the way so the mob started to charge for and attack Katie's mother; Elizabeth! However what they didn't count on was Katie's father (Saito) who at the time was the only person from his village who had any pokemon and they were all quick to step in to protect Saito's one true love! Their combined power achieved its goals first saving Katie's mother (Elizabeth); and second was driving that mob away from Dragonus!  
After finishing the latest part of the story Serena stop's reading and looks to Ash who was just sitting there with a blank face, before saying "amazing" to which Serena responded by saying; "yeah that's so romantic as she takes Ash's hand in hers and guides it around her waist to which Ash just responds by tighten his grip on Serena's waist as he asks her; "what happened next!?" to which Serena responds with a smile before saying; "well let's see?"

(Story begins "note this is being told in Serena's voice and Serena's point of view)

This astonishing display of bravery on behalf of these childhood friends; captured the heart of the ruler of the Divine Dragons who was still in disbelief that these two humans saved him from those "barbarians!" Being eternally grateful to Saito and Elizabeth; Dragonus told them that he and the other Divine Dragons were forever in their debt hearing this Katie's parents had only one request; and that was for the Divine Dragons to leave the humans and their settlements on the Dimensional Plain alone! Dragonus agreed to this request by his rescuers and decreed to his brothers that "from this day forward I decree that all humans and their settlements; on the Dimensional Plain are off limits!" but what astonished them was what Dragonus suggested to them after making his decree; Dragonus suggested that with all the problems the humans have on the Dimensional Plain Dragonus purposed him and his brothers work together with Katie's parents in maintain order on the entire Dimensional Plain! Katie's parents agreed that this partnership was the only way to keep peace and happily accepted the ruler of the Divine Dragons offer to assist each other in keeping peace! Katie's parents; ecstatic about what they had achieved began heading back to their village with hands locked together; but what they didn't know at the time was that tragedy awaited them at home! They discovered this as they continued down the trail and began noticing an orange glow off in the distance, and so fearing the worst the two of them raced back to the village; as they secretly hoped that their worst fears wouldn't come to pass...

Story ends:

As Serena finished that page from the borrowed history book Ash who was captivated by what he's heard so far couldn't help but ask; "Serena please don't tell me.." in a quiet voice with deep concern but Serena sadly had to answer Ash's question by using the same tone of voice; "I'm afraid so Ash..." as Ash mutters under his breath; "no!" as Serena began to read again...  
(Story begins "note this is being told in Serena's voice and Serena's point of view)  
Saito and Elizabeth soon arrived back at their village which was being burned; by the group they had just protected Dragonus from, the mob furious that they sided with the Divine Dragons and betrayed the humans decided that they were going to pay by watching their village burn to the ground! seeing this was more than Katie's parents could bear so they asked their new friends the Divine Dragons to help them stop this before any more people suffered; so together they asked for Phoenix Dragon Guardian of The Sun To Appear; which he did with darkening skies claps of thunder and lightning and when Phoenix Dragon appeared in the skies he used his power to absorb the flames and put the fires out! Saving everyone the remaining humans on the Dimensional Plain hailed them both as heroes, and when they began to inspire everyone that they can re-build and grow stronger together it was decided unanimously that they should lead them!

Story ends:

Ash still in a state of shock and awe over what he just heard could only say one word; "wow" before Serena interrupted him with the only remark she could make; "that's horrible" but what it also did was make the performer think to herself about something; something that her and Ash had both been wondering since they first crossed paths with the Divine Dragons for the first time and after reading this Serena was almost positive that she now knew the answer as her mind and heart both pleaded with her to share her conclusions with Ash so without any warning or anymore thought Serena finally spoke what was on her mind; "I'm sure that's why they picked us!" Ash was confused by his wife's outburst began to question Serena; "What was that Serena?" so Serena continued on with her thought this time with no filter; "The Divine Dragons they chose us; because of the similarities to us Ash" Ash who was still confused at what Serena was saying just looks into Serena's electric blue eyes as he informs her that he "wasn't sure he was following her" so Serena continued on hoping that with a little more explanation Ash would get what she meant; "they chose us because they knew we could help our different dimensional counterparts if they got into trouble after all they are us and we are them!" thinking about what Serena just said Ash realized that Serena was onto something but Ash also couldn't help but think to himself about why he had fallen for Serena in the first place not only was she beautiful but smart too so Ash didn't doubt that Serena would say that if she hadn't been thinking about it for a long time and it was then Ash decided to tell Serena what he thought about her theory;  
"Huh; you know that does make a lot of sense Serena, it also explains why we're here after all; both of our worlds are in trouble!" hearing that Ash agreed with her was comforting to Serena but the last part of "both of our worlds are in trouble!" gave the performer a "gut check" however Serena wasn't about to let it bring her down she needed to be strong, after all with Ash by her side she knew everything would be okay after all Ash was not just her inspiration and strength but also her strongest partner together they've been unstoppable so Serena just responds in kind by telling Ash; yeah and we owe it to everyone to stop this madness, especially to Katie! In her confident and determined tone of voice and Ash knew all too well when Serena set her mind to something she was going to do it. although at the mention of the princess Ash couldn't help but think about how bad he felt for her which he wasn't shy about sharing with Serena either. After finishing their talk both Ash and Serena were surprised by the sound of footsteps coming from behind them; it was the princess who had apparently woke up while Ash and Serena were talking while all Ash and Serena could think to do was ask Katie;  
"What are you doing up?" a question that was just responded to by Katie with a yawn before she answers Ash and Serena with; I couldn't sleep, what about you? Ash and Serena both thought about it for a second before nodding to each other, silently deciding they were going to be honest with Katie; we were just reading the story about your parents! Hearing this both amazed and confused Katie as to why Ash and Serena would do that but the awkward silence was cut off by Ash that couldn't help him from telling Katie what he really thought about the story he had just heard; You're parents sounded like incredible people! A statement that caused Katie to bow her head before whispering; "They were... They were..." seeing Katie's behavior began to concern Serena and Ash both as they look at one another and nod deciding that it was finally time for them to tell Katie something that had been on their minds for a while now since they heard what happened to Katie's parents; Ash started off with their shared thought; "you know Katie..." hearing Ash caused the princess to snap back to attention as she looks up to Ash in confusion and now seeing that they now had the princess attention Serena decided to pick up where Ash had left off;" You've been incredibly brave through all this; if your parents were here they'd be incredibly proud of you!" Ash soon followed up by reaffirming what Serena had just said; Serena's right Katie; I know we sure are!" A statement Serena just nodded to because she agreed with everything Ash had just said. Ash and Serena's words had nearly brought Katie to tears not tears of sadness well maybe a little but mostly tears of joy, joy that even though she was now on her own she really wasn't because right now she had Ash and Serena and the only thing that came into the princess's minds was to run up to Ash and Serena and hug them both as she mutters into Serena's pink dress; "Ash... Serena... thank you so much" a statement to which Katie felt her head being patted by ash as they responded together;  
"You don't need to thank us Katie, after all it's the truth!" but Serena wanted to take it a step further in comforting and cheering up the princess as she addresses her in a stern and serious tone of voice; just remember something Katie, no matter what happens just remember your parents will always be with you in your heart and, they did and will always love you!" Serena's words had once again brought the princess to tears of happiness as she tells Serena that; "she's sure that she was right!" while Ash on the other hand who was taken aback by Serena's words whisper to Serena; "that was incredible what you just did Serena!" as Serena begins to pat Katie's head before whispering back to Ash; "it wasn't that big of a deal!" but Ash didn't want Serena to be so "modest" as he tells Serena; "well i think it was!" as Ash, Serena and Katie finish their discussion they're all interrupted by the sight of a Dimensional Plain sunrise a sunrise which was like all the others but on the Dimensional Plain the sun rises are different it's almost like i sunrise you'd see out of a child's fairy tale book but todays sunrise also had another distinction a "topic changer" as Serena asks; " morning already!?" realizing that both her and Ash haven't slept as they spent the whole night reading about Katie's parents as an equally tired Ash responds; "guess so." but Katie on the other hand already had her eye on the next objective for her Serena and Ash; "well i guess that means we should start searching for Dagon; Guardian of The Underworld..." the last part of that statement very much unsettled Ash and Serena; as they grow nervous about the whole "Guardian of The Underworld part" but it was Katie who reassured the trainer performer couple that they needed to find Dagon before her brother and Raphael do! realizing the princess was right Ash and Serena reluctantly agree as Serena begins to cling to Ash for comfort as the three of them break camp and depart to find Dagon and after just a few minutes of hiking an outline of the nearby mountain range became visible as Katie assures Ash and Serena that Dagon's cave should be around here somewhere but little did they know they have just walked right into an ambush which became obvious as they hear a sound coming from the tree lines a voice an all too familiar voice to be exact; realizing who it was Ash and Serena demanded that the owner make himself viable; as the small outline comes walking out of the shadows it quickly became clear that it was Kenneth again who only acknowledged his sisters presence completely ignoring Ash and Serena as a second voice becomes audible; "and he's not alone" now that second voice was enough to send a shiver down Ash and Serena's spine as they start searching the tree line for the voices owner but after multiple scans and not seeing a thing and being able to tell that this is making Serena uneasy causes Ash to issue a demand; "Show yourself Raphael" which was responded to with a laugh and "as you wish" before the warlord... the murder of Kate's parents; "Saito and Elizabeth" showed himself. upon seeing him Ash quickly demanded to know what he wanted which was only responded to with a sarcastic; "clearly you three don't recognize an ambush when you see one!" and with a snap of his fingers a group of pokemon also appear from hiding in the tree line forming a ring around just Ash and Serena but not Katie as she was the one leading the way. The princess quickly turns to Ash and Serena and shouts to them out of concern for their safety the princess had already lost her mom, and, dad and couldn't stomach the thought of also losing the next closest thing to them but, Ash and Serena seeing this quickly assured the princess to not worry about them and that they'd be fine but also to tell Katie to be careful to which she answers with a nod before being interrupted by her brother; "this ends now sister!" as Raphael turns his attention to Ash and Serena who are still stuck in his trap and assures them that; they'll never reach Dagon or Dragonus!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Seeing ash and Serena trapped like animals was more than the princess could bear even after assurances from ash and Serena that they'd be fine but as for Katie's brother this sight couldn't have made him any happier but right now his objective was to destroy his sister at any cost and, with this mission in mind Kenneth once again looked up to primus who was floating right above his head and then back to Katie before shouting at her that; "this ends now!" as he commands primus to use his primal energy burst attack! what he didn't know however was ash and Serena had been training Katie to perform the miracle herself but, at this moment she wasn't entirely sure she was ready yet but as the princesses purple eyes focused on ash and Serena the trainer and performer knew that they were going to have to "encourage Katie" just a bit more in order to save them all as Serena that she "can do this!"

While ash encouraged her to "go for it" this was all Katie needed to hear to try it as she raises her left hand up towards the sky and calls out; "Solarois!" this move caused Kenneth to jump back in astonishment as the skies begin to darken once more with red lightning striking the ground as the large red dragon; Solarois the guardian of the earth descends! causing the princess to jump for joy a little as she exclaims; "i did it!" while Kenneth on the other hand demanded to know how she did that as she turns once again to look at ash and Serena before answering her brothers question; "ash & Serena taught me how to call the divine dragons!"

Flashback begins:

If you want to call on the divine dragons your feelings have to match theirs ash explains to the princess as they stand in the middle of a large open meadow with mirror wall dragon flying over their heads as Serena picks up where ash had left off; "just stay calm, cool and, collected" as ash continues to pick up where his wife left off; "if they sense any hesitation, fear or uncertainty they won't appear!"  
It was then that Serena said the most important part of their lesson; "but remember when they do appear you're in whatever battle your facing it together; you either win together or fail together! The princess had taken in every word as she acknowledged that when you call a divine dragon you go all in!"

Flashback ends:

Seeing what the princess had done couldn't have made ash and Serena any prouder as they continue to encourage the princess in knowing they knew she could do it but all this was sickening her brother as he orders primus to attack Solarois while Katie ordered Solarois to counter with it flamethrower attack these two attacks together caused began to cause the ground to vibrate and smoke to build which soon cleared out revealing a draw between primus and Solarois and while Kenneth was impressed Katie began feeling pain in her side as she begins to question in her mind what was going on but, Serena on the other hand noticed Katie's had go to her side and she began to worry knowing that expression all too well from her and Ash's previous experienced when they first met the divine dragons. Serena soon turns to ash and asks him in a worried tone of voice if he thought Katie would be okay? ash responds to Serena's concern in his confident voice a voice which always seem to have a calming effect on the performer; "she's strong Serena; she'll be fine" ash then reaches down to grasp Serena's hand as he says to his wife; "now what do you say we get out of this mess Serena!?"

A question Serena responds to with a nod and one word; "right!" as she reaches into her pocket for Braixen's Pokeball and calls out her partner and ace while ash sends out Pikachu to battle!

Back with Katie and Kenneth:

As the princess continues to glare at her brother while grasping her side she continued to tell herself; " everyone is counting on me ash... Serena... mom... dad... I can't back down...!" Before ordering Solarois to attack primus again with flame-thrower! however; Kenneth wasn't about to let primus just sit there and get attacked as he orders primus to go up and over Solarois which primus did quite splendidly and with primus above Solarois caused Katie to worry as Kenneth finally orders primus to finish Solarois off by blasting him with primal energy burst and as the blue stream escapes Primus' jaw and hits Solarois on his back from above him causes the guardian of the earth to fall from the sky worrying Katie as she calls out to Solarois but as the words escaped her lips she immediately felt another sharp stabbing pain causing the princess to go to her knees immediately concerning ash and Serena who along with Braixen and Pikachu managed to clear a path causing all of them to run towards Katie while Kenneth decides to take advantage of the situation and orders primus to blast them all seeing this attack incoming ash immediately grabs Serena into his arms as they stand in front of the "downed princess" as ash calls for ash Greninja to show himself and use his cut attack to deflect the blast.

Seeing this caused Kenneth to start Cursing ash as the rouge prince performs what he calls "a tactical withdrawal" as the smoke from the blast clears out and revealing what Kenneth had done Serena does wonder where he went her attention Immediately went back to Katie who was now lying face down on the ground; Causing both ash and Serena to panic as they run towards the princess's unresponsive body to check on her.

Upon arriving at her side Serena immediately began to shake the princess asking her if she was alright and after about the third attempt Katie began moaning as she begins picking herself up off the ground and assuring Serena and ash that she was okay and while ash's worry turned to relief Serena's worry turned into anger as she told Katie that she; "wasn't doing that again!"  
An order that confused the princess as she Asks Serena; "why?" a simple question that Serena had a simple answer to; "I don't want you getting hurt!" it was about this time ash jumped into this discussion even though he didn't know why considering He didn't even know which side he was on; "I'm sure what Serena means is you need more practice and..." but before ash could continue he found himself cut off by Serena who began to angrily scold him…

"No i mean i don't want her to do that again! once again confused and trying to get his wife to calm down ash tries once again to reason with her; "Serena..." but once again ash found himself cut off again...

"Don't you Serena me ash; you always do this "twisting what i say and usually i let it slide because you end up being right ash; but not this time!" but now it was the princesses turn to grow angry at Serena.

"Don't you dare tell me that i can't avenge my parents Serena!"

This outburst both confused and irritated Serena as she once again turns her attention to Katie who continues to lash out at Serena; you may be my mom's dimensional counterpart; but you're not my mother! I'm grateful for your help don't get me wrong, but i can handle this whole thing myself so stay out of my way!

Before running off away from ash and Serena and, while ash tried to reason with the princess before she ran out of sight Serena grew even angrier as she snaps at ash again, let her go ash, if she wants to recklessly risk her life, let her! We'll just focus on getting Home!  
Ash was shocked by Serena's outburst but knew she didn't really mean it as he tries to get the performer to calm down; now Serena just calm down i know you don't really mean that, come on Serena let's have a seat and Talk about this as he takes her hand and walks with her towards the campsite.

Meanwhile with Katie:

I can do this without ash & Serena's help, mom... dad... I'll make Raphael and Kenneth pay for what they did to you! Katie assures herself in her head but it was about this time she heard another telepathic voice calling out to her;  
Foolish mortal girl, you should've never trespassed into my domain! hearing this scared the princess almost half to death as she continues to search the tree line in hopes of finding the voices origin as she shouts out to who or what Was talking to her; show yourself! To which the voice just replied; "very well as a larger pair of red eyes became visible in the pitch black night.

Back with Ash and Serena:

After ash finally got their campfire going he returns to Serena's side as she continued to pout while looking into the fire; so you ready to talk Serena!? Ash asks in a soft compassionate and concerned voice as Serena responds to him, About what!? pretending to be ignorant about what ash was doing and it was then ash even started to grow annoyed but he didn't want to show it as he say to Serena; "Katie" Serena went quiet for a moment before finally giving her response.

"What's to talk about ash; she wants to be stupid & reckless, that's her problem!"

Hearing this response ash came to a loss so before saying anything more he extends his arm and begins to caress Serena's back trying to get her to relax as he says to her; "come on Serena I know you don't really feel that way, you're a nice and caring person and i know you're worried about her deep down!" hearing this infuriated Serena who although knew it was true deep down she was still angry over how Katie snapped at her and from her point of view that ash was more on Katie's side than hers as she hastily gets up she says to ash; "forget about it ash, I'm going to bed!" as Serena storms off over to their tent before removing her boots and entering the tent. Ash unsure of what to do Just continued to stand in the shadow of the campfire with his arm partially extended as he began debating on whether he should go after her or just let her be!

Meanwhile with Katie:

As Katie continued to stare at the glowing red almost demonic eyes staring at her from the tree line the princess nervously stutters out once more; "show yourself!" As she said this a large dark green skinned dragon showed himself first on his four legs before taking slightly to the air as he announces himself to the scared princess; "I am Dagon, the divine guardian dragon of the underworld!" seeing the guardian of the underworld terrorized the princess what he said next paralyzed her; "you shouldn't be in my domain human" after hearing that Katie began to plead with the divine guardian; "Please Dagon i just want to talk To you" but Dagon was quick to reiterate that he had no interest in what she had to say...

Back with Ash and Serena:

Serena had been tossing and turning in her sleeping bag for a couple hours now as her eyes finally fly open as she begins to grow frustrated by her not being able to fall asleep it was then Serena looked over and noticed ash wasn't there causing her to wonder if ash was still up so she decided to crawl out of her sleeping bag and out of the tent and saw ash's shadow caused by the fire and decided that she was finally ready to talk about how she's feeling about what happened; "ash.." she whispers as she comes up behind him causing ash to turn to her and ask her what she was doing up and it was then she told ash that she couldn't sleep and ash was quick to guess if it was about Katie as Serena comes over and sits next to ash by the fire, after sitting herself down ash let Serena begin their discussion; "i don't know how to explain this feeling ash, i know we don't really know Katie but i just feel some kind of connection with her!"

It was then Ash began to realize what Serena was talking about and unknown to Serena ash felt very similar that is if they were thinking the same way and after all the years he'd been with Serena ash was positive that they were as he began to talk to fill the silence left by Serena; "i do too Serena "at first i thought it was Sympathy for what she's going through, but the more i thought about it, maybe it's because she's Kate's dimensional counterpart!" Serena was both awestruck and amazed by what ash had said because it was exactly how she was feeling as she hears ash go on; "that's it isn't it Serena; when you look at Katie you see Kate, and if Katie gets hurt it'd be like us letting Kate get hurt, and as Kate's parents we couldn't... wouldn't let that happen!"

Ash was spot on and Serena knew it as she felt a tear roll down her face as she begins to speak to ash again; that's right and because Katie can't understand that i lost my temper, I'm sorry i was such an idiot for letting my anger get the best of me!" as Serena began to cry ash quickly began to calm Serena down and reassure her that it'd be okay. "no you're not Serena you no we... are just in a complicated & difficult situation don't worry we'll get through this together, but first let's go get Katie we owe it to Our dimensional counterparts, Katie's parents to keep her safe no matter what!"

Serena really did feel more relaxed by ash's words as she wipes a tear from her eye and slides over to hug him before whispering to ash that she loved him. To which Ash responded in kind before whispering to Serena; "Okay Serena let's go find Katie!"  
"Right I owe her an apology" no sooner did those words leave Serena's mouth both her and ash jumped back as they heard a "blood curdling" scream for help and the voices owner sounded like Katie fearing the worst both ash and Serena jump up and run towards that screams point of origin.

A few minutes later:

After frantically searching and shouting out to Katie they finally got a response "ash & Serena please help me!" as she continues to scoot across the ground away from Dagon who vows that Katie would pay for disturbing him before beginning to prepare an attack and it was then ash and Serena finally arrived much to the relief of the princess but Dagon on the other hand didn't stop as he launches it at them feeling confident that he had dealt with this minor annoyance however, when the smoke began to clear the guardian of the underworld saw a very surprising sight in front of the humans he just blasted where a large snake like dragon and, red dragon it was Osiris and Solarois!  
Seeing his brothers startled the guardian of the underworld as he began to ask what they were doing here. While the dragons were communicating Serena looked to the princess who was now in her arms and then to Dagon and asked Katie; "is that?" and it was then Katie told Serena that the dragon in front of them was Dagon, the divine guardian dragon of the underworld!" and not hearing anything from Osiris or Solarois ash and Serena began to plead with Dagon; "Dagon we need to tell you something!" to which they were answered by Dagon; "quiet humans" but it was then Solarois and Osiris spoke up…

"listen to them" but while all this was going on and unknown to them all they were being watched by warlord Raphael who has now decided that it was "Show Time" as he moves to sneak up behind them and to "crash the party!" as Raphael begins to make his move ash, Serena and, Katie began to plead with Dagon; Dagon we need to tell you something, it's about Dragonus he has been captured and, dragged back to the other dimension!" Dagon was in shock and disbelief over what he had just heard begins to question how that had happened but Solarois soon chimed in and told his brother that he was at risk of suffering the same fate!"

Still in disbelief Dagon and the others soon find the silence broken by Raphael who had silently arrived out of the tree line kind of like a ghost and Raphael wasn't alone with him was his and Kenneth's newest prisoner Olympus who was now brought under their command; Raphael soon ordered Olympus to blast them all but ash, Serena and everyone else could sense his pain as he uses his telepathy to apologize for what he was about to do and begged them all to forgive him. Everyone succeeded in dodging the blast however and it was then ash and Serena turned to the princess and told Katie to; "get Dagon out of here; we'll take care of Raphael!"  
Hearing this began to unease Katie as she begins to question "what if!? seeing the princess struggling ash and Serena decided the princess needed just a bit more encouragement before she could do this especially after last time so they began to encourage the princess; "you can do it Katie, we believe in you!" hearing this encouragement from ash and Serena Katie realized she can do this as she looks to Dagon and tells him; "let's go!"

As they begin their escape, using the smoke for cover. with Katie gone Serena couldn't help but ask ash if he thinks she'll be okay and ash was quick to assure her that of course she can she's strong before turning to Serena and reaching for her hand before Asking her if his; "partner was ready to take care of this menace!?"

Serena smiled at this before accepting his invitation with a "ready sweetie" as their smoke cover finally clears out revealing to the warlord that not only Dagon but the princess were both gone and ash and Serena's Braixen and Greninja have appeared with Osiris and Solarois overhead as they say to the warlord; "Raphael if you want to find Dagon, you'll have to get past us first!" a challenge Raphael happily accepts as he orders Olympus to blast them again!

Meanwhile with Katie:

"Quick Dagon this way" Katie tells the guardian of the underworld as she shimmies her way down a narrow path down a steep hill seeing the princess doing all this had touched the guardian of the underworld as he begins saying to himself; "i can't believe this brave human girl is helping protect me!" but, as Katie and Dagon are continuing Their escape they suddenly stop as they spot a figure over in the clearing, Dagon didn't recognize the small figure and at first neither did the princess until the figure began speaking to them; "come now you don't even recognize your own brother Katie!?" as Kenneth begins to emerge from the shadows Dagon curiously asks the princess;  
"That's your brother" before primus chimes in; "and he's not alone" as he appears and it was then Katie begin yelling at her brother; "Kenneth i won't allow you or the others to lay a hand on anymore of the divine dragons!" Kenneth laughed at this as he orders primus to blast them. Determined to keep her promise to protect Dagon Katie begins saying to herself; "guardian of the dimensions please lend me your strength!?" as she calls for mirror wall dragon to appear as the sky begins to darken with silver colored lightning flooding from the sky as mirror wall dragon appears from the clouds and lands in front of them to protect them from the blast that hits his body instead, and Just like last time as mirror wall dragon takes the blast.

Katie begins to feel the pain mirror wall dragon feels coursing through its body. Seeing this intrigued her brother as he exclaims to her; "interesting sister you managed to call out a divine dragon but, can mirror wall dragon take the abuse!? And, can you handle the abuse on your Body and spirit caused by your connection to him? I guess we'll find out" as he orders primus to keep going with his attack and as a result the pain Katie's feeling continued to grow in intensity as she begins to scream out in pain!

Meanwhile with ash & Serena:

Raphael and Olympus have no doubt been beaten back by ash and Serena's team work as he informs them that he was still standing as Serena says to ash; "they've gotten stronger ash!" as ash responds by saying to Serena; "yeah they have Serena ordinarily we'd have beaten him by now." as Serena continues to look at her and ash's opponents she still couldn't help but think to herself;  
"this is the first time since me and ash got married, I actually feel that we may not win..." but before another attack could be declared ash and Serena are interrupted by a scream coming in the distance; a painful scream" that from the voice left no doubt in their minds that it was the princess deciding that her safety was the current priority as Serena looks to ash and told him the same thing he was feeling that; "Katie needs their help!" and it was then ash and Serena plead with Osiris the sky guardian to please take them to Katie Osiris agreed and descends to the ground allowing both ash & Serena to climb on him so he can fly them to Katie as ash sand Serena say under their breath; "hang on Katie we're coming... please stay strong as Osiris begins to fly them in the direction of where Katie and Dagon were pinned down!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hey everyone Templars74 here so remember how I promised you guys when I first announced this story that both this version and my YouTube Version while although the same story will each have subtle Exclusives? Well in this version of chapter 11 I'm treating you all to something several of you have been asking me to do and that's a "lemon" To be honest this chapter was a bit dry and needed something extra in my opinion. Now of course with rules and guidelines this "lemon" although implied in the video series only this version of chapter 11 will go into… detail! So without further ado enjoy this chapter and my first and probably only lemon….  
Also I want to thank King Poliwag aka Amourshipping Canon for the advice on how to handle the lemon part of this chapter Anyway hope you enjoy and have a great day everyone and of course as always I'll talk to you all next time! Templars74

Chapter 11  
With Katie:  
Unaware that Ash and Serena are on their way to help her, Katie continued to battle her brother Kenneth with everything she had; however the physical pain she's enduring from using Mirror Wall Dragon in battle was almost more than Katie could bare but her determination to protect Dagon from her brother continued to drive her and kept her fighting. "I'm still standing!" Katie proudly proclaims to Kenneth as Mirror Wall Dragon continued to float above her head. The tension continued to build in that moment almost to the point you could cut it with a knife until Kenneth finally responded to his sister; "Hmm... i can see that, but that won't last long!"  
Katie was quick to respond to her brother making it clear to the rouge prince that she wasn't going to let them lay one finger on Dagon a statement that really resonated with Dagon as the guardian of the underworld continued to watch this young girl and his brother fight with everything they've got against primus before beginning to think to himself; "No wonder Dragonus put so much faith in this girl and her parents!" As Kenneth commands Primus to attack Mirror Wall Dragon again with Primal Energy Burst; as the silver-ish white blast hit Mirror Wall Dragon the force of the attack quickly became too much for the dimensional guardian to handle which became evident as Katie began to scream at the top of her lungs in pain, before both her and Mirror Wall Dragon were sent flying. What went unnoticed however was that Ash, Serena along with Solarois and Osiris had arrived where the rouge prince and Katie were battling just in time to witness Katie being sent flying across the meadow. Seeing this sight was too much for Serena who without even giving it a thought; recklessly jumped from Osiris' back to catch Katie while she was in free fall. With Katie within her arms reach Serena pulled the princess in close to her chest as they plummeted towards the ground together.  
Ash was at a loss for words over what Serena just did not just because he was concerned for both Serena and Katie's safety but, Ash was also truly impressed by the bravery Serena showed in saving Katie's life. It was also around that time Ash realized that this must be how Serena feels whenever he acts this way and, why she always scolds him for being the reckless one. Ash's mind soon snapped back to reality however when he realized that now both Serena and Katie are exposed and in danger. Determined to keep both Serena and Katie Safe; Ash quickly ordered Osiris to attack primus from the air, so that they could get "somewhat of a safe landing." After a couple of terrifying seconds which ended up feeling like an eternity to Serena she soon finds herself on the ground still holding Katie close to her. Concern soon overtook Serena as she pulled Katie away from her so she could ask if she was alright but, the princess still wiped out from the battle with Kenneth was too exhausted to speak so, Katie just nods "yes" to Serena before closing her eyes.

Relieved that Katie is alright Serena just continued to stare at her as she lies in her arms. Serena couldn't help but feel as if she was holding her and Ash's daughter Kate in her arms in that moment but Serena was soon snapped back to reality as Ash shouts to her asking her if; "she was alright?" A question Serena answered with a nod as she was still in shock and assuring herself in her head that she was; "Alright, her and Katie were both safe." Relieved That Serena was safe Ash quickly jumped from the sky guardian's back landing next to Serena. After hugging Serena briefly Ash turned his attention back to Kenneth before telling him; "If you want to pick on someone, than pick on me" before Osiris and Solarois closed in from above Ash's head and with two of the guardian dragons behind him Ash declares to Kenneth that; "they were his opponents now!"  
Now of course if they were back in Ash and Serena's dimension this would be enough to make anyone turn around and run but, Kenneth just found Ash to be humorous and amusing causing him to laugh before responding to Ash's challenge; "This isn't a case of bullying on the playground, this is a life and death game a game..."  
Kenneth cuts himself off before he finished as he turns his head to focus on Serena who's still holding his sister in her arms before continuing; "A game my sister and apparently my mother's different dimensional counterpart, will unfortunately both loose!" That response that terrified Serena as she looked to Katie before turning to look at Ash with a clear look of worry and concern on her face. Seeing Serena like that Infuriated Ash Kenneth had just threatened Serena, something that Ash saw as un-forgivable and unacceptable this action forced a response from Ash this time in a tone of voice full of anger and rage; "Alright, I tried to reason with you but, when you or anyone threatens Serena… That's crossing an unforgivable line!"  
While Serena always admired how Ash would always go out of his way to support and protector her one of the many reasons she married Ash. Kenneth found Ash's rant amusing and foolish as he begins to laugh again. Kenneth clearly didn't take Ash seriously which infuriated Ash and left him with only one thing to say and that was; "You're no bully... You're a monster... A monster that will be slayed!" as Osiris and Solarois lift their heads to the sky and let out a low loud roar!" Kenneth accepted Ash's battle but Serena was just looking on at the unfolding events "torn" She even went so far as to convince herself that; "she needed to get in there and help Ash" but just as Serena begins to gently place Katie on the ground so she could get up and join Ash, she found herself being stopped by his voice; "Just stay back Serena; I don't want you to get hurt, trust me we can handle this!"  
Hearing Ash's words caused, Serena to look at Ash with confusion for a minute before going into awe at Ash's bravery one thought crossed the Pokemon performers mind and that was; "Ash please be careful..." Before assuring Ash out loud; "Okay Ash I believe in you" Serena's words caused a smile to form on Ash's face after all her support means the world to Ash Serena's support makes Ash feel like he could do anything and with that Ash nods to Serena with a smile before focusing on Kenneth again. With Ash's focus on him Kenneth tells Ash; "let's begin" followed by Ash who assured the rouge prince that; "this ends now!" Ash then ordered Osiris to blast primus with its thunder force attack but just as the powerful blast leaves the sky guardians jaws primus begins to fade away causing the attack to miss primus altogether causing ash to grow confused and concerned before demanding to know where Primus went a question Kenneth answered by telling Ash; "That he's somewhere that's well out of the range of your attack!" Kenneth then commands primus to; "Reappear and blast Solarois & Osiris into next year!" Upon hearing his commands the guardian of energy returns to the battle. Primus then begins to charge up his attack while Ash thinks to himself that; "Now was his chance!" So before Primus had a chance to attack again Ash quickly ordered Solarois and Osiris to; "Surround primus" Osiris and Solarois followed this command and now with the sky guardian in front of primus and the earth guardian behind primus. Ash realized he now has Primus right where he wants him and quickly ordered Osiris and Solarois to attack primus simultaneously and when the two blasts hit primus he quickly fell from the sky. A sight that caused Kenneth to stew with anger "this isn't over, i will get my revenge!" as smoke built up around them all.  
After minutes of silence which felt like an eternity to Ash, Serena and, Katie the smoke finally cleared out revealing that not only was Kenneth missing but Primus was lying motionless on the ground. With the battle over Serena quickly ran up to Ash and hugged him before thanking him for once again coming to her rescue. While Katie on the other hand cautiously approaches primus' motionless body wondering what they should do with him but, just as this thought crossed her mind Primus' body begins to fade away before disappearing altogether. It was a sight Katie quickly reacted to by warning Ash and Serena with a voice of sheer terror; "Primus is gone!" This was a revelation that caused a shiver to run down both Ash and Serena's spines as they let go of one another and ran over to where primus was. Unsure of what to make of all this Ash and Serena asked both Osiris and Solarois; "If they knew what happened to Primus?" However; The Sky and Earth Guardians didn't know what just happened to their brother but, they assured Ash and Serena that they'd begin searching for him." Something both Ash and Serena were extremely grateful they'd do and, with the search for Primus now underway Serena returned the subject back to Kenneth and where he went, but Ash wasn't concerned about him right now because he was confident he'd show up again. A sentiment Katie shared as she reminded her friends that her brother is very stubborn.  
Meanwhile back in Alola in ash & Serena's dimension:  
In the warm humid tropical heat of the Alola region, right in the shadow of the Alter of Moon lay another set of ruins however these ruins were much… much… older and in these ruins was a large amount of machines arranged in a circle and in the center of this circle was Dragonus who was still being held captive by heavy chains attaching him to the ground and taking away any hope he had for escape from a mysterious being known as the Grandmaster who's location and plan were being masked not only by artificial heavy tree cover but also a special device a "cloaking field" making them all but invisible to anyone who might wonder by. Everything was going according to plan for the Grandmaster and his Order of Light. That is it; "was all going to plan" until a bright light appeared in front of the Grandmaster which peaked his curiosity so the Grandmaster approached the light to investigate but, as he approached, the light soon faded away revealing Primus' motionless body. After a couple of minutes Primus began coming around and it was then the Grandmaster finally addresses his new captive;

"Well... well... well... it appears you were defeated. Primus still exhausted from the battle just continued to lay there on the ground and listened to the Grandmaster go on; "How sad i really did think you could've survived to the final phase!" Primus then begun to groan in what may have begun being a response but, alas he was still way too weak to respond. So the Grandmaster turned to face his assistant and ordered him to chain Primus down an order that was soon carried out and now Primus was chained down exactly like his brother Dragonus a sight that pleased the Grandmaster as he assured The Guardian of Energy that he still has a purpose to him before walking away to return to working on the order of lights plans.  
Meanwhile Back On the Dimensional Plain with Ash, Serena and, Katie:  
Night has already fallen on the Dimensional Plain and only one campfire illuminated the landscape, and by this campfire sat one lone raven haired pokemon trainer; who apparently unlike his wife and the princess traveling with them couldn't sleep, or so he thought. "Ash..." Serena whispered to the raven haired trainer. Hearing Serena's voice quickly caused Ash to turn his head to face the honey blonde haired performer as she slowly comes towards him. Seeing Serena come over to him and having a seat to join him confused Ash as he asks her; "Serena; it's late, what are you doing up?" A question Serena answered with just a smile before whispering to him; "I could ask you the same question Ash..." After hearing Serena's response; Ash could tell she was clearly worried that he hadn't come to bed yet.  
Ash felt bad that he made Serena worry about him so he quickly apologized to her for making her worry but, With Serena right there next to him Ash decided to open up to Serena and tell her what was on his mind. "Serena I'm worried about Primus it's like he had fallen off the face of the earth and, I'm worried about where he went." Hearing Ash's concern; Serena begins to talk hoping that she can make ash feel somewhat relieved even though deep down she's been thinking about the same thing; "Ash; you shouldn't let this get in the way of you getting rest, everyone is counting on us to figure all this out and save them and, to do that we need to be at our best!"  
Ash knew Serena's intent behind what she had just said but he couldn't help but tell her; "Serena I love you, but that really didn't help!" Feeling somewhat disappointed about Ash's response, Serena decided to try something else to get Ash to relax something that's worked on Ash countless times before; a combination of; "charm, seduction and sweet talking." Serena slowly leans over and whispers into her husband's ear; "Come on Ashy, let's get some rest, we can "cuddle" if you do..." Serena's words caused a smile form on Ash's face he didn't know why this "trick" of Serena's always worked so well on him but, what he did know was its something only Serena could do. Ash then takes Serena's hand in his and finally goes back to their tent to get some rest.  
The following morning:  
The sun began to rise on the Dimensional plain its warm glow casting shadows from the trees surrounding Ash, Serena and, Katie's campsite. Eventually the warm sunlight poking through Ash and Serena's tent waking Serena up first; her head still resting on ash's chest as she mutters out; "hmmm morning Ash..." A gesture Ash returned by muttering out; "Morning Serena..." While still cuddling with Ash; Serena's curiosity got the best of her as she asked Ash if he was feeling better. A question Ash just responded to with a nod before whispering into her ear that it was thanks to her. Happy and content that Ash was doing better now, Serena decided to change the subject again; "Well I guess we had better get ready to go huh?" A question Ash responded to by tightening his grip around Serena's waist pulling her closer to him; an action that made Serena laugh before hearing Ash whispering to her; "yeah we still need to find Contemillia..."and although Serena and Ash were both reluctant to leave their embrace they also knew they had to find Contemillia before it was too late, so Serena reluctantly let go of Ash before getting up to go get Katie.  
Meanwhile with Kenneth:  
Kenneth continued to wander down the trail still pissed off over what had happened the previous day and how he lost primus; putting him at a major disadvantage now. While Kenneth continued talking to himself he reached into his pocket and pulled out the modified Pokeball containing Olympus. Staring at Olympus' Pokeball and the multiple amounts of colors showing on its surface compelled the rogue prince to speak again; "you're all i have left Olympus, I have to find Contemillia before they do, and I refuse to let my sister get the better of me again..." Upon finishing his thought Kenneth returned Olympus's Pokeball to his pocket and took off down the road again; still furious over the predicament he's in now.  
Meanwhile back with ash, Serena and, Katie:  
Realizing that they were racing the clock Katie, Ash and Serena continued on their way to find Contemillia but Katie was extremely optimistic which confused Both Ash and Serena that is until Katie informed Ash and Serena that Contemillia lives in the caves just outside Tempalizin. This revelation astonished both Ash and Serena as they asked Katie why her parents would allow Contemillia to live so close to the kingdom. Quick to answer Ash and Serena's question Katie goes on to tell them that the reason her parents allowed Contemillia to live so close to Tempalizin is because Contemillia isn't "violent" he's an "observant" and, since he's the guardian of time. He doesn't interfere with any events as that may alter the time stream! While Katie's response did answer Serena's question it caused Ash to grow concerned about Contemillia's safety because he's only an observer. So Ash began to convince Serena and Katie that they needed to check on him and protect him from Kenneth and Raphael. It was a sediment Serena and Katie agreed with as they begin making their way towards Contemillia with the princess leading the way. After about an hour more of walking Katie assured ash and Serena that it was only a few more miles but, as they continue to walk and realizing that Katie is a good distance in front of them Ash decided to use this opportunity to ask Serena something he has been curious about for a while; "Hey Serena, are you sure you'll be okay?" Ash's question confused Serena who turns her head so that her electric blue eyes met with Ash's auburn eyes before asking Ash; what he was talking about. Seeing that Serena wasn't following Ash asked her his question again with a little more clarity; "You and Katie, Serena you two have grown really close. Have you thought about what is going to happen when we go home!? It was at that moment Serena realized that Ash was right causing her to turn her attention back to Katie who is still walking in front of them before thinking to herself; "Ash is right what are we going to do. Katie has almost become like a second daughter to me and Ash, what are we going to do? After all Katie doesn't have anyone anymore...  
Meanwhile with Kenneth:  
"There it is Contemillia's cave" Kenneth thinks to himself as he stares on at the cave below him from which a light blue light was coming out of the opening as the prince realizes his sister Ash and Serena would be arriving here any minute and that they have to work fast to capture Contemillia! It was about this time warlord Raphael arrived causing Kenneth to angrily score his ally; "It's about time you showed up!" seeing Kenneth was upset; Raphael quickly and sarcastically remarks; "What still upset about losing primus?" this infuriated Kenneth more as he tells Raphael; "let's just get this over with!" To which the warlord responds with; "As you wish..."  
Meanwhile back with ash, Serena and, Katie:  
Realizing that Serena still hasn't answered his question yet and noticing the change of expression on Serena's face Ash decided to ask Serena if she's alright. It was after that Serena finally responded out loud assuring Ash that she was fine and that she was confident that it'd all work out. Before hearing Katie's voice calling out to them in the distance; "Ash... Serena... you coming?" A question Ash responded to by shouting to Katie that they'd be up there in a minute. After Ash answered Katie's question Serena reached down and grabbed Ash's hand but didn't smile until she felt Ash's grip tighten and his fingers interlocking with hers and, now hand in hand Ash and Serena began walking towards where Katie was anxiously waiting.  
Meanwhile back with Kenneth & Raphael:  
Both Kenneth and Raphael begin to cautiously approach the cave that served as the home of The Guardian of Time but, as Kenneth continues to get closer he began the reckless action of hastily approaching the cave. That is until he felt Raphael grabbing his arm and telling him; "Wait not so fast, we need figure out a way to trap him in his own cave first!" This statement confused the prince as he demands to know why? Forcing Raphael to explain his reasoning "Work smarter not harder; Contemillia will be so much easier to contain if he's trapped!" However Raphael's reasoning just confused Kenneth more especially knowing that since Contemillia was the guardian of time he'd surely know they were coming and wouldn't be stupid enough to let himself get trapped but, Raphael was both arrogant and cocky as he assures the prince that he knows that his instincts are right as they make their way towards the "illuminating cave."  
Meanwhile Back With Ash, Serena and, Katie:  
Ash, Serena and Katie soon arrived on the hill top overlooking the valley below as Katie points to the same cave that unbeknownst to them Raphael and Kenneth were already scouting before noticing the shadow of the kingdom of Tempalizin and the tower of the royal palace. The view was truly spectacular and as Serena continued to survey the landscape she points out that Contemillia's Cave and Tempalizin were practically next door to one another. Serena's words gave Katie an idea an Idea she was anxious to share with Ash and Serena; "Hey Ash, Serena since it's getting late why don't we swing by Tempalizin to rest for the night!?"  
The thought of a warm shower and bed for the night was too good of an idea for Serena to pass up; especially after being out hiking around the dimensional plain for over a week so she was immediately on board. While Ash and Serena continued to think about Katie's question. Katie began to assure Ash and Serena that they would find Contemillia first thing in the morning. However while Serena was on board with the idea Ash on the other hand wasn't convinced that this was a good idea. So once again Serena decided to try and sweet talk Ash with the same technique she used just the other day, Serena slowly walked up to Ash and whispered something into his ear as quietly as she could because she didn't want the princess to hear what she was talking about with Ash. Once Serena finished what she was saying to Ash the performer stepped back next to Katie with a large blush on her face which somehow went un-noticed by the princess. While Ash looked into Serena's eyes with a blank face and a thousand yard stare. After a minute of silence Serena asked Ash one more time; "Come on Ash please?" This time Ash just smiled at Serena before letting her and Katie know that he had changed his mind; "Alright but just one night!" So with that decided the three of them focus on Tempalizin before making their way over to the castle.  
After only a few minutes of walking; Katie, Ash and, Serena arrived inside the kingdom and were soon mobbed by the citizens who were excited to see the royal family again. After all they didn't know what really happened to the king and queen or who Ash and Serena really were but that one word "family" really sunk into Serena as it reminded her about her and Ash's kids who were back in their dimension probably worried sick about what happened to them like the rest of their families. Ash quickly noticed Serena's behavior and quickly asked her what was wrong but, Serena just assured Ash that she was fine and they'd talk about later. Once they managed to work their way through the crowd and wished the citizens of Tempalizin goodnight they eventually make their way back into the royal palace. Once inside Katie immediately made a b-line to her bedroom while Serena on the other hand made a b-line for the shower.  
Later that evening:  
After everyone had finished getting ready for bed Katie wished Ash and Serena goodnight and once again thanked them for everything they've done. Which Ash and Serena responded by telling her; that it was the least they could do before wishing Katie goodnight. After thanking Ash and Serena; Katie returned to her room to turn in for the night. Leaving Ash and Serena alone and it was then Ash decided to try and find out what was on Serena's mind although he felt he already knew the answer. What's wrong Serena!? Ash asked in a quiet, concerned tone of voice; "Serena what's wrong?" A question Serena answered in a quiet whisper; "It's what the crowd said earlier "family" it just made me wonder what's happening back home with Kate and Kenny?" Ash then realized his hunch was correct, truth be told Ash had been wondering about this as well, practically all the time but he also had faith in their son and daughter and now he needed to assure Serena that they'd be okay; "Don't worry about them Serena, after all we raised them both right I'm sure they're fine!" Ash's optimism and confidence was always something that helped Serena calm down and made her feel better and, this time was no exception but she still couldn't help but wonder how things were going back home!?" Ash & Serena's Home and Battle Coliseum in The City of Domino…  
In Ash & Serena's Dimension:  
Inside the Domino Battle Coliseum the heat of battle filled the air as a trainer from the Unova Region and his ace Absol was battling Ash & Serena's son; Kenny and his shinny Braixen for the coveted Domino Coliseum Challenge Coin. Absol wasn't letting up as it charged at Braixen with its Mega Horn Attack but Kenny's Braixen was to fast quickly dodging Absol's attack before attacking Absol with its flamethrower it was a direct hit that finally defeated Absol and after Kali "whom Serena hired to help them run the Domino Coliseum" called the battle. Kenny's sister Kate came running up to him with a water bottle. Kenny happily accepted the water from his sister and began to take a drink as his sister congratulated him; "Great job bro; dad would be so proud of you!" Kenny smiled at his sisters complement but couldn't help but share what was on his mind with her; "Thanks sis i just wonder where him and mom went!?" Kate soon returned her brothers sentiment; " Me too Kenny... me too... I mean don't get me wrong I don't mind coming back to help you fill in for mom and dad but, I'm still worried about them!" The siblings didn't have too much to reflect on what was on their minds as Kali announced the next challenger of the Domino Coliseum has entered the arena so Kenny turned to his sister and wished her luck as it was now her turn since they agreed to rotate so they both did some of the battling just like how their mom and dad ran it.  
Meanwhile Back In Tempalizin With Ash & Serena:  
As Serena continued to think about their son and daughter she began to mutter out; "I miss them so much..." as a tear started running down her face. Ash couldn't take it anymore he felt the way Serena did about Kate and Kenny but, Ash also realized that right now both him and Serena needed to stay strong so he gently reached over to Serena's face and wiped the tear forming in her eye away caching her by surprise as ash began talking to her; "Hey Serena don't cry!" before pulling Serena into his arms and hugged her. Being held in Ash's arms did relax Serena and before she knew it Ash was whispering into her ear; "it'll be okay!" A few more moments of silence passed before Ash realized there was one thing he could do right now to cheer Serena up and with Serena in his arms Ash decided to "pull a page" from Serena's playbook and whispered something into her ear like she did to him earlier. Ash's words caused Serena's face to turn fire engine red as ash finally let her go so she could see the grin on his face. After which Ash whispered to her again; "let's go!" Serena nodded to Ash as she felt him reach down for her hand to walk her down the castle hallway towards their room with smiles on both their faces.

**WARNING UPCOMING LEMON**

A Few Minutes Later:  
After a few minutes of walking down the long castle corridor Ash and Serena arrived at the door of their suite. Upon staring at the large oak door with Serena; Ash pushed the door open revealing a large room painted dark blue with a large king sized bed sitting in the middle of the room under a large crystal chandelier and a small fire place in the corner which had already been lit by the servants earlier that evening. The warm atmosphere of the room had a real calming effect on Serena as she slowly let go of Ash's hand to walk towards the bed. Once Serena arrived at the foot of the bed she slid her backpack off her shoulders and placed it on the floor before sitting down on the bed to take her boots off. All of this did not go unnoticed by Ash as he walked over to the foot of the bed he could feel his heart racing as he sat down next to Serena to take his shoes and hat off. With his hat and shoes off Ash scooted closer to Serena before placing his hands on her shoulders an action that made Serena smile as she was expecting Ash to pull her closer to him in a hug but Serena was caught off guard when she felt Ash massaging her shoulders. The feeling of Ash's hands rolling across her skin, loosening up her shoulders made Serena purr as it continued to relax her.  
Seeing Serena enjoying herself made Ash smile but Serena on the other hand had another idea cross her mind. with Ash sitting behind her Serena started leaning back pushing herself onto Ash and before she knew it she was looking up at the ceiling with Ash underneath her causing the couple to laugh that is until Serena felt Ash kissing her neck while she laid on top of him staring at the ceiling causing the performer to start moaning Ash's name between laughs. Hearing Serena laugh again caused a smile to form on Ash face. He loved Serena and her happiness meant the world to him so to hear her laugh for the first time since they became stranded on the dimensional plain meant the world to him. Serena on the other hand was; loving the attention Ash was giving her it was making Serena slowly forget about the confusing adventure both her and Ash have had so far. Right now even though they were trapped in a different dimension everything seemed normal to the performer and truth be told it was bringing back memories from their honeymoon; Ash her childhood crush and true love holding her close, making her happy and, giving her all the attention in the world.  
As Serena continued to lie there she felt Ash's arms wrap around her waist as he returned to kissing her neck, Serena decided that right now the moment was right so between laughs and moans she whispered to Ash what has been on her mind for the last few minutes now; "This feels just like our honeymoon doesn't it Ashy!?" Serena's question made Ash stop what he was doing much to Serena's disappointment but little did Serena know it was just Ash teasing her as she heard Ash whisper to her; "I don't think so Serena after all if I remember right it was more like this…" And just like that Serena felt Ash rolling over with her so that she was lying on the bed with Ash on top of her. With Serena now the one lying down Ash finally got to see Serena's beautiful face which had now turned a bright pink. This made Ash smile as he lowers himself down closer to Serena so he could whisper to her; "Now that's more like how I remembered it Serena." Ash fully expecting Serena to say something was taken aback as he noticed a smirk come across the pretty face below him before Serena rolled over onto her back. Once Serena's electric blue eyes made contact with Ash's Auburn eyes Serena whispered to Ash seductively; "Oh yeah…" but, before Ash could respond Serena surprised him by jumping up and pulling Ash back down to her before slamming her lips against his.  
Time began to slow down as the two trainers continued to kiss each other passionately in this moment Ash and Serena's minds allowed them both to forget about what has happened recently and focus only on one another. Before either Ash or Serena knew it both of them were working on undressing one another as their desires to see one another took complete control. After only a few more minutes both Ash and Serena were both naked as they returned to kissing one another as their bodies pressed closer and closer to one another. The feeling of time was gone for Ash and Serena they both had experienced so much stress from their predicament and right here and right now had a way to escape even if it was only for a few minutes. Eventually Serena and Ash broke their kiss for air and Serena took the opportunity to whisper to Ash as he continued to hold her; "I love you so much Ash, I'm so glad that we have each other." There wasn't a moment of hesitation as Ash responded to Serena; "Me too Serena, I couldn't even imagine what my life would be like without you Serena; I love you."  
Ash words caused a tear of joy to run down the performer's face she truly did have a great life and although Serena missed their family back home just as much as Ash did she knew everything would be okay as long as her and Ash were together. Serena's train of thought derailed once she felt Ash's manhood poking her leg, Serena couldn't take it anymore as her desires slowly began to take over as she began to rub up against Ash forcing him to moan her name in pleasure. Hearing Ash's reaction forced a smirk to grow on her beautiful face before whispering to Ash again; "Come on Ashy, I'm waiting!" Hearing Serena's words surprised Ash as he fully expected her to tease him for just awhile longer as foreplay was something they both enjoyed but Ash also wasn't about to make the love of his life; his queen wait any longer. Before Serena knew it she felt Ash pulling her even closer and positioned himself to enter Serena. The next thing Serena felt was Ash as she began to move with Ash causing both of them to moan as their instincts and the pleasure of the moment over took them both as Ash continued to enter Serena, they returned to kissing one another not just on the lips but all over one another's bodies.  
Until both Ash and Serena cried out in ecstasy as they both came. Love making was something Serena and Ash hadn't done in a long time even though they had both teased once another in private since they arrived on the dimensional plain in an attempt to have some fun and to lighten the mood but didn't actually do. However now that they had both of them couldn't help but wonder why in the world they hadn't done it when they had the chance after all they were married and already had a family so it's not like it wouldn't have been that strange but that was beside the point they were together and making each other happy and that was all they needed. The brief silence in the room was broken when Serena sighed in content as Ash continued to lay on her. That is until Ash lifted himself up so that he could gaze at Serena's beautiful figure again while Serena began gazing at Ash's figure and once Serena's electric blue eyes met Ash's auburn eyes both began to smile. Before Ash lowered himself back down to Serena so they could kiss again. Once their lips parted Ash and Serena both rolled over onto their sides together neither one of them willing to break their embrace as Serena moaned out in content; "You're so amazing Ash; I love you" as Ash likewise moans to Serena; You're amazing Serena I love you we'll be together forever no matter what happens." Ash's words caused a lustful smile to come across Serena's face as she places a small kiss on Ash's forehead before whispering to Ash; "Always!" The young couple then began to doze off making each other's smiling faces the last thing both Ash and Serena saw before finally going to sleep and neither of them wouldn't want it any other way.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

The sunrise slowly crept through the windows of the royal palace in Tempalizin. The bright morning sun caused Serena's blue eyes to gently open to the sight of ash face. A fact that reminded the performer that they were still cuddling from last night. Serena couldn't help but smile because ash had done nothing but comfort her during all this even though he clearly was experiencing the same emotions that she was. Serena's train of thought was soon interrupted by a yawn from ash who was just now waking up himself; ash's eyes opened to arguably his favorite sight in the world and that was Serena's blue eyes and smiling face as he whispers to her; "how are you doing this morning Serena!?" Serena just giggled at ash's question as she responds; "much better thanks to you, thank you!" before giving ash a gentle kiss on the lips. After a few more minutes of silence ash and Serena realized that they really did need to get up and start their day and more importantly their search for Contemillia so that they can return home.

A few minutes later:

Ash and Serena after getting ready for the day had decided to "roam the palace" the stunning architecture had commanded all of ash and Serena's attention so much so that they didn't even notice Katie coming towards them until she called out to them; "morning Serena... morning ash..." once their attention had turned to the princess they responded to her in kind; "morning Katie" before the princess asked a question that caught both of them off guard; "did you two sleep well!?" but it wasn't the question that threw ash and Serena off it was Katie's smug face one that could give bonnie a run for her money the awkwardness of the moment caused both Serena and even ash to blush as they assured her they did. as the awkwardness continues to fill the air Katie decided to change the topic by urging ash and Serena that they needed to get going so they could find Contemillia before running out of the castle with ash and Serena in tow...

Meanwhile back with Kenneth & Raphael:

With his trap complete Raphael turned to his ally Kenneth and says to him; "all set now let's pay the time guardian a visit" before they both walked into the cave and towards a bluish-white glow coming from the back of the cave, the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife as the two intruders grew closer to Contemillia's chamber which didn't go unnoticed by the time guardian who decided they weren't even worth his time so his glowing orb like body continued to float in suspended animation. Kenneth was infuriated by this because he figured that Contemillia was mocking him so he decided to do what he does best let his mouth run; "what's wrong with you? Why aren't you running?"

hearing Kenneth's question finally got the time guardian to respond to his unwanted guests; "foolish humans your presence is inconsequential to me" a response that required an even more infuriated Kenneth to run his mouth yet again; "so you're just going to let us capture you?" a question to which once again the time guardian responded to; "absurd you can't capture me and, even if you could your intelligence is too miniscule to realize the consequences that would hold" this time Contemillia's words just flat out pissed the rouge prince off as he responds in an angry yell; "did you just call me stupid!?"

while Kenneth was growing more angry Contemillia responded in a calm and cool demeanor; "no you called yourself stupid; I'm calling you an ignorant ape!" not being able to contain his anger any longer demands a battle from Contemillia something Contemillia had no interest in; "conflict is pointless as violence will only lead to violence each of which triggers the next in a never ending cycle, as the guardian of time i know the futile nature of conflict all too well; thus i shall not battle you or anyone else whether you fight me or capture me what will happen will happen regardless!"

hearing the response he naturally expected from Contemillia the warlord was convinced that he wasn't needed here and that it was satisfactory to leave Kenneth in charge while he finished preparations for the final phase of the grandmasters plan on the dimensional plain, after all at this point all Kenneth had to do was keep ash, Serena and, Katie busy if they show up. Raphael then acknowledges to his ally that he needed to go take care of a couple things and he'd be back before leaving the chamber with Kenneth and Contemillia all alone. Something that appeared to peak the curiosity of the time guardian as he asks the prince; "what you aren't going to help your "friend"? To which all Kenneth had to say was; "he's not my friend; besides you're not leaving my sight Contemillia..." something which was just responded to by another insult to get under Kenneth's skin; "as you wish you tiresome meddling ape"

Meanwhile with ash, Serena and, Katie:

As the three of them approach Contemillia's cave, only one thought was running through ash and Serena's minds and that was; them being one step closer to home but, Serena couldn't help but think about something, a thought that was slowly "devouring her enthusiasm" a though that was making the performer appear sick on the outside a sight that didn't go unnoticed by ash. after a couple minutes passed ash couldn't take it anymore as he asks; "Serena what's wrong!?" and it was then Serena finally revealed what was on her mind; what if Contemillia can't help us get home, ash!? hearing Serena's concerns and noticing how she had almost been brought to tears, ash was quick to assure his wife that Contemillia can help them get home because, he's done things like this before and, it was then ash reminded Serena of the time Contemillia introduced them to Kate and Kenny for the first time which also confirmed to both Ash and Serena that they did in fact have a future together it was also the turning point in both of their lives as they began their new journey together."

As ash finished reassuring Serena that everything would in fact be okay a "new thought" began racing through the performers head as her gaze locked adoringly on ash face; "ash i don't know how you manage to do it but you always manage to make me feel better and inspire me; i love you so much, staying with you and marrying you, was the best decision i ever made, I'll never regret it ever; as long as we're together; we can do anything and nothing can stop us! Not one more word was spoken as Serena slowly reached down to grab ash's hand and take it into hers and, with their fingers now intertwined.

Serena finally broke the silence; "you're right ash let's go!" a response that was recognized with a nod as they hear Katie calling out to them from further along the trail so far along only the princesses silhouette was visible; "hey aren't you two coming?" hearing the faint voice of the princess the young couple shouted out in response; "yeah we're coming!"

Meanwhile with Raphael:

The warlord after walking for hours had finally made it back to the dimensional portal stone which was brightly illuminated by the sun as it shines into the opening in the roof approaching the relic ever so slowly Raphael stopped about two feet from it and got down onto one knee as he announced to the stone; "grandmaster it is time, we are ready to commence the final phase of the plan!" pleased with this news the apparition of the grandmaster responded; "very well go on Raphael the troops will be waiting for you!" not another word was spoken as Raphael nods and gets up to exit the cave to head outside the warlord was quick to look down on Tempalizin; assuring himself that the time has come for the kingdom as he starts sliding down the hillside towards the kingdom."

Meanwhile with ash, Serena and, Katie:

A faint blue glow surrounded them as they wandered further into the cavern but, with no sign of life. Serena had one thought on her mind; "okay but where's Contemillia!?" it was at that moment a bright bluish-white light begun to shine in front of them. This light was so bright that it was beginning to blind all three of them as Contemillia finally materialized in front of them. After a few moments of silence a low deep voice began to echo through the cave; "Ahh ash... Serena... we meet again..." a statement to which ash and Serena responded to by telling the glowing white orb hovering in front of them; "yeah it's been a long time" ash and Serena's response seemed to have amused the time guardian as he jokingly asked his old friends; "pun intended!?" ash and Serena both began to laugh before assuring Contemillia that there was no pun intended and that they were "just happy to see him again!" with the echo of laughter gone the tone of the chamber changed drastically as ash and Serena "got down to business."

"So Contemillia you do know why we're here right?" ash asked the time guardian. Contemillia was quick to answer his friend although his response was wrapped in an enigma; of course i do i am the guardian of time itself after all but, there are other problems intertwined with your reason for being here! i fear things are going to only get worse... Contemillia's warning not only echoed through the cavern but also resonated within the spirits of ash, Serena and, Katie. the next thing that broke the silence was Serena asking Contemillia; "what he meant by that!?" but the time guardian would only respond with; "well that would be telling" while ash and Serena knew from past experience with the time guardian that was clearly going to be the answer they'd get but Katie not so much as her curiosity tuned to anger; "you're kidding you won't tell us so we can protect everyone!"

Contemillia understood the princess anger but reassured her that he wasn't kidding because he takes his responsibility of maintain and not interfering with the time stream very seriously!" with the tense atmosphere growing tenser ash and Serena decided that now was the time to change the topic; "well Contemillia can you at least tell us how we can get home?" Contemillia quickly responded to his friends; "very well!" those two words caused the atmosphere of the cave to change yet again as joy overcame ash and Serena as the young couple held each other and assured each other that they were finally going home. this joy soon evaporated though as the time guardian spoke again; " but on one condition, you must rid my home of its intruder!" ash and Serena both quickly fell silent curious about what Contemillia meant by intruder but, the princess believing that she already knew what was going on and who the time guardians intruder was, just mutters to herself; "please don't tell me!"

it was at that moment the silence was broken; "well... well... well..." Kenneth uttered as he appeared out of the shadows in front of ash, Serena and, Katie. Much to their distaste and disgust which they weren't shy of hiding from their "guest"; "why don't you just get lost!?" a demand that was responded to with a laugh and a proposal. "how about this why don't you three take me on in a battle I'll choose three and you each use one if i win one I'll leave no questions asked!" they were terms ash, Serena and, even Katie were quick to agree to as Kenneth called out his three pokemon; Raichu, Rhyperior and, Charizard.

Seeing Kenneth's three choices confused Katie as she wondered why Kenneth wasn't using Olympus but, ash and Serena were focused on their current situation; "it looks like it's going to be just a regular battle!" Serena whispered to ash who just responded by saying that was fine with him as he called out Greninja before activating "ash-Greninja" while Serena called out Braixen and the princess called for her ace Sylveon. With the stage of confrontation set! Contemillia began to assure himself that the climax of this whole ordeal was finally at hand! The time guardian's thoughts were interrupted as Kenneth called out for his team to attack, Ash-Greninja, Braixen and, Sylveon. With these attacks coming straight for their precious partner's ash, Serena and, Katie were quick to respond by calling out for counter attacks! With these six attacks colliding the cave began to fill with smoke while the time guardian began to wonder who would be left standing! As the smoke cleared out however, a surprising sight was shown both sides were still standing in a clearly evident draw.

While this sight did impress the time guardian he began to sense something else something far more troubling to the time guardian who decided in that moment that it was time to leave. Upon making this decision the time guardian began to "fade out" and head for shelter. with the time guardian gone ash continued to battle but Serena and Katie noticed the disappearance of the time guardian but, as they wonder what happened everyone's attention was captivated by a loud explosion and a tremor in the earth so ferocious that it nearly brought everyone to their knees. As everyone regained their footing Katie suspicious that the noise came from outside ran out of the cave opening and to the ledge of the mountain overlooking her kingdom.

Looking down Katie eyes saw a horrific sight Tempalizin was being consumed by a ferocious fire innocent people screaming for help so loudly it could be heard from her vantage point. This sight was far more than Katie could bear as she calls out to her friends; everyone you need to see this, its Tempalizin come quick it's burning! hearing this lead to nothing but confusion and fear to everyone in that cave even Kenneth who now was right behind ash and Serena as they ran out of the cave before being confronted by the same sight Katie was still looking upon in horror. this sight caused ash and Serena to wonder what was going on but, Katie already knew what was going on and didn't hesitate in confronting who she held responsible her own brother; "you did this Kenneth!" Kenneth however had no idea what was going on and quickly grew defensive; "i had nothing to do with this Katie; I'm just as surprised as you are!"

Katie at this point was so angry over what was happening she wasn't even paying attention to her brother anymore. In fact as soon as her brother stopped talking Katie told everyone that she had to do something as she leaped for the mountainside and began to slide down towards the flames consuming the burning kingdom. ash and Serena both tried to stop her, trying to convince her it was way too dangerous but their efforts were in vein because Katie had already made up her mind and as ash and Serena have learned the princess is "stubborn in the fact that once she decides to do something she does it regardless of the consequences!" so ash and Serena out of concern for Katie and the citizens of Tempalizin run after Katie leaving Kenneth all by himself. with his "company" gone Kenneth began to grow angry and mutter to himself; "that double crosser!"

continuing to watch the fires consume his old home his parents life work destroying everything awakened the rouge prince's sense of justice determined that he couldn't just stand back and watch quickly ran after ash and Serena determined to get to the bottom of this and to help them and his sister prevent more death and destruction. as Katie made her way into the city in complete disbelief and anger over what was happening she didn't even notice the intense heat coming from the flames that continued to inch closer towards her but the princess was brought back to reality by the sound of screams for help determined to find out where the cries were coming from Katie turned her attention to a boy trapped on the second floor of a house with his pokemon as flames licked out of the windows and door frames on the ground floor. as Katie tried to decide what to do to help her subjects her thoughts were interrupted by ash's voice coming from behind her; "Greninja now..."

the next thing Katie knew she felt a breeze before watching ash Greninja pull the boy and his pokemon from the window and bringing them both safely to the ground. With the boy and his pokemon safe on the ground ash and Serena ran over to all of them pleased with Greninja's rescue. While the citizens were focused on thanking them for the rescue Serena's attention turned towards the fire as she demanded to know what was going on. that's when the mother of the boy Greninja just saved dropped the bombshell; "the royal guard, they betrayed you and us!" horrified by that statement both ash and Serena noticed a group of soldiers approaching them and once again ash and Serena demanded to know from the commander himself; "what's the meaning of this!?"

it was then the commander revealed what was going on; "you're not the king and queen, so it's up to us to avenge them; so we now serve a new master!" this confused ash and Serena as they questioned; "new master!?" as the commander is telling off ash and Serena Kenneth arrives and stands behind them stunned by what he's seeing & hearing. Another voice quickly broke the tense silence as a familiar man emerges behind the commander; "that's me!" seeing that it was in fact warlord Raphael behind this stunned ash and Serena as Raphael began his speech; "that's right we are the order of light and our soul mission is to purge this world; to make way for "our" new one!" this infuriated Kenneth as he confronts his "former ally" you double crosser; that wasn't our deal! This caused Raphael to laugh as he addressed the prince; "we never had a deal kid you had a grudge... we have an agenda, and you were just a means to achieve that agenda...!

This seemed to infuriate ash and Serena more than it did Kenneth probably because of what Raphael and the grandmaster have done; "that's enough; it's true we may not be the king and queen you all knew, but we can still do this! as ash and Serena both raised their hands to the sky before calling out; "divine dragons descend now!" and with that the skies over the kingdom darkened again signaling the approach of the divine dragons within a matter of seconds mirror wall dragon, Osiris, Solarois and Phoenix dragon descended from the sky to their true masters setting the stage for what ash and Serena as well as the rest of Tempalizin hoped would be the final confrontation with the warlord! The young couple made one more demand from the traitors; "this madness ends now, you'd be wise to mind your place and, surrender now!"

as the sight of the divine dragons begun to strike fear into the eyes of the soldiers watching the divine dragons "command the skies" over ash and Serena's heads! Ash and Serena re-stated their demand to surrender; but, Raphael who was now in command in the royal guard ordered them to attack instead. Seeing the soldiers coming towards them and the fact that they won't heed their warning ash and Serena both commanded the divine dragons to counter attack in order to protect themselves and the rest of the kingdom. Seeing that ash and Serena have halted the royal guards advance and seem to have the situation under control Katie decided to pull her brother aside and finally tell him what was on her mind!

Now look what you've done, Kenneth! Hearing his sister angrily shout down at him caught the "ex-prince" off guard and unable to say anything his eyes wandered down to the ground as he continued to let his sister vent. mom and dad are dead, dragonus is being held prisoner, the grandmaster and Raphael are both on a rampage, and what do we have to show for it Tempalizin is burning! It was at that moment Kenneth finally looked up from the ground to see his sister pointing at the burning buildings! as Kenneth watched the building burn he was interrupted by his sister yelling at him again; "it's all your fault!" with her thoughts finally off her chest Katie began to cry as she asked her brother one question one that she wanted to know the answer too, something she just couldn't understand; "Kenneth were mom and dad really that horrible to you?" "Were they that mean to you that you had to go and get involved in this?" Kenneth realizing that Katie was absolutely right and that he had no comeback to her questions just stuttered out; "Katie... i... i..." before going silent again. Katie responded to her brothers inability to answer; "just as i thought; now if you don't mind i need to go help ash & Serena, clean up the mess you made!"

after finally being able to scold her brother Katie takes off to regroup with ash and Serena determined to help them stop the royal guard leaving her brother all alone once again! With his sister gone Kenneth finally had a chance to "digest" his sisters scolding! He begun to stare off into the flames consuming the city as he began to think to himself; "what have i done!?" i can't be forgiven for what I've done maybe i should just walk into that fire; no that's the cowards way out! As soon as Kenneth shook the thought of killing himself out of his mind he decided that he needed to help his sister, ash and Serena but the real question was how he could do that! Unsure of what the answer to that question would be Kenneth decided that he'd work out that detail when he got to it but for now, he'd just head towards the castle confident that was where they'd be.

Meanwhile with ash and Serena:

Ash and Serena continued to stand on the steps of the royal palace of Tempalizin side by side with Greninja Pikachu Braixen as the guardian titans continued their; "defensive attacks from the skies" but all these attacks appeared to be in vein as the royal guards just kept coming! a sight that caused Serena to turn to ash with a look of fear occupying her face; "ash this isn't working!"

seeing Serena like this upset ash but also boosted his determination to not only protect her but the innocent people and pokemon of Tempalizin; "i know but we have to keep them away from the palace if that goes, all hope for Tempalizin is lost!" as ash finished that statement Katie finally came back to them. Seeing the princess did bring some relief to Serena in the fact that she was safe but it did also beg the question; there you are but, where is your brother!? Katie though was still furious over her recent discussion with Kenneth so the only remark she had to make about that question was; "who cares where that coward went we've got bigger issues!" as they watched the royal guard continue their advance edging ever closer to Tempalizin.

Meanwhile back in Contemillia's cave:

Contemillia continued to gaze silently at the pool of water in front of him the white light from his body making his reflection dance around as he pondered over the current situation; "Tempalizin will fall soon; all hope is lost!" the cave suddenly began to echo with familiar yet ghostly voices; "that's not true yet there is still one hope left!" as a second ghostly voice called out to the time guardian; "Contemillia..." the time guardian recognized the voices owners immediately although he couldn't understand exactly why he was hearing them he knew who they were they were friends they were Katie's parents or at least their spirits anyway so he called out to the voices in hopes of confirming his suspicions; "your highness!?" the time guardian was expecting to hear a response to his question but instead all he got was a plea; you've got to get ash and Serena out of there and back home or all hope is lost for both dimensions! as the second voice added; "please Contemillia we're begging you!" unsure of how to respond and unsure whether this was actually the late king and queen and not some kind of trick or deception the voices pleaded to the time guardian once again which seemed to satisfy Contemillia as he agreed to the request; "very well!"

Back with ash and Serena:

The army continued to encroach on the palace with only ash and Serena standing in their way; "they just keep coming ash" Serena says as she continued to watch in horror. it was then Raphael told ash and Serena that they were finished and they should "just embrace it" but ash and Serena weren't about to do that after all they don't give up until it's over something they re-asserted to Raphael as he ordered his men to "aim there weapons on the palace and open fire" seeing the blasts hit the palace and watching it go up into a tower of flames brought satisfaction to Raphael while ash and Serena assured him that he'd pay for that but Raphael wasn't taking them seriously as he ordered the guards to turn their weapons on ash and Serena which frightened Serena but not as much as when Raphael ordered the army to; "fire!" fearing for his and Serena's safety ash called out for his strongest pokemon Greninja who positions himself in front of ash and Serena to protect them. while ash and Serena continue to stand their holding each other a blue flash catches their attention from the corner of their eyes but fearful of what's in front of them they ignore it at least until they hear Contemillia's voice calling out to them; "ash... Serena..." hearing their names ash and Serena decided to go ahead and see what was going on so they quickly turn around and notice that a portal has appeared behind them. this confused ash and Serena as they questioned the time guardian what was going on he answers them; "quickly this portal will take you home; get moving you gotta get out of here and get home" it was like ash and Serena were in the twilight zone all this time they've been looking for a way to get home they felt they couldn't... wouldn't leave Tempalizin now not like this.

Their hesitation did not go un-noticed by Katie who was quick to tell ash and Serena; "ash... Serena... go! If you don't all hope is lost!" while ash and Serena knew the princess was speaking the truth there was no way they were about to leave them now something they didn't hesitate to tell the princess. Katie couldn't believe what she was hearing but realizing the magnitude of what was going on she thought ash and Serena were both frankly being foolish so she orders her Sylveon to use swift on ash and Serena but not before asking them to forgive her for what she was about to do.

Katie's Sylveon's swift lands right in front of ash and Serena knocking them both over and right into the portal with the last thing being seen was Serena calling out to Katie before disappearing all together. with ash and Serena gone Raphael issues an order to his men; "quick don't let them get away; follow them..." as Raphael's men close in on the portal they're halted by Katie and Sylveon who have run in front of them to cut them off. With yet another barrier in his way Raphael demands the princess stand aside but Katie assured Raphael that she'd never just stand aside but, as the word never escapes Katie's mouth she hears a familiar voice from behind her it was her own brother; "blast the royal guard now!" After hearing that command Katie turns her head to see a ryperior standing next to her and now protecting her from the royal guard. Confusing the princess as she questions what exactly what was going on.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13  
Katie made a difficult choice in order to have one more chance to stop the Grandmaster's rampage. Now with Ash & Serena back home an unlikely ally has come to her rescue! This ally quickly commanded his Rhyperior to attack the royal guard with hyper beam. An attack that mowed down dozens of troops which allowed the princess to finally catch her breath but curiosity soon over took the princess as she looked up and saw her brother standing on the hilltop along with his Rhyperior. This confused the princess as she Begins to question her brother and his motives as he continued to approach her; Kenneth what are you doing!? Kenneth could sense his sister's skepticism as he tried to convince her That he was there to protect her but alas his sister saw through his lie as she demanded to know "why he was really here!?"  
Sensing that his sister knew that he was "Lying through his teeth" Kenneth began to tell his sister why he really was here to help her in the most sincere tone Kenneth could muster; "alright truth be told i realized i Made a "horrible mistake" and, although i don't expect to ever be forgiven for what I've done! I can still help see that the Grandmaster's plan doesn't succeed!" Katie this time could sense her brother's sincerity which caused her to stand there at a loss for words but Raphael on the other hand wasn't at a loss as he quickly interrupted the royal siblings family moment; " after all once you two are out of the way there won't be any birth right claims to the throne left! Now finish them both off." orders the royal guard were quick To respond to as they marched closer and closer to Katie and Kenneth.  
Seeing the soldier's inch closer and closer to them caused both Kenneth and Katie to slowly walk back towards Contemillia's portal which was still open from sending ash & Serena home all of the while Kenneth's attention turned to his sister as he started thinking to himself; " we can't let them get to this portal and, i have to protect Katie; after all unlike me she deserves a chance at a real life!" no sooner did Kenneth finish his thought he realized both him and his sister were now surrounded with nowhere to go and with the army continuing to close in Katie decided to use the skills Serena and ash taught her as she raises her hand up towards the sky and called out;  
"I don't think so; come down divine guardian of war, Gorath!" words that caused the earth to shake and the sky to darken as lightning started striking the ground and within the mist of this a rift opened up in the sky as a large white creature descended to the ground. As sight that terrified not just the army but Raphael as Gorath got to his feet swinging his powerful sword arm into the air before roaring in anger.

Meanwhile back with ash & Serena:

Ash & Serena continued to scream as they fell out through Contemillia's portal and onto the warm Alolan soil. Several minutes passed before ash and Serena picked themselves up off the ground. As soon as the couple were off the ground ash reached over to place his hands on Serena's shoulders as he asked her if she was alright to which Serena nodded and before Serena knew it ash was pulling her close to him in a hug as he whispers to her that they were finally home!

A revelation that should have excited both of them was nothing but cold comfort as they realized what just happened before they were sent home and the mess they just left Katie in unaware that her brother had just come to her rescue but, before ash and Serena had a chance to think about it any further they heard a familiar voice calling out to them; "ash... Serena... is that you!?" hearing their names being called out ash and Serena turned their heads to gaze down the trail where a young woman dressed in all white was running towards them it was Lillie who seemed extremely relieved as she exclaims to them; "thank Arceus you two are alive we've been searching for you two for months!" the word months coming from Lillie shocked Ash and Serena as neither of them realized it had truly been that long as they begin to realize their friends and family have been searching and worried sick about them for so long a realization that was clearly evident as they begin to apologize to the Alola champion For making everyone worried.

To which Lillie quickly assured the couple that it was alright and that they were just grateful they were alive. Once Lillie saw her words calm her friends down she couldn't help herself but ask; "by the way while we're on the topic, what happened to you two anyway!?" a question that caught ash and Serena off guard as they tried to tell Lillie that; "it was a long story!" in hopes that it would get Lillie to drop the subject but in fact what happened was just the opposite as she assures the world champions that she had time." making ash and Serena realize that they were going to have to tell Lillie what had happened to them.

Meanwhile Back On The Dimensional Plain:

"Gorath attack!" Katie ordered the guardian of war as Gorath swung his powerful blade arm at the soldiers knocking them down in droves but Raphael just kept sending more waves of men towards them and it wasn't long before Kenneth noticed his sister growing fatigued from using Gorath's power it was pushing her Spirit and energy to the very limit of what she was able to handle. Kenneth couldn't help but grow concerned for his sister because although for a long time he envied her and even battled against her, Katie was his sister and he did truly love her and that's when he began to think to himself; "Katie can't take much More of this, if Raphael and the army capture us we'll surely be thrown in jail or worse; i can't let them get Katie; she didn't do anything wrong; she has a chance of a real life with ash & Serena!"  
Kenneth then turned his head and noticed Contemillia's portal slowly shrink in size and he knew time was running out Before turning his head back to his sister just as she was about to command Gorath to attack again. Katie was taken by surprise as she yelled out an attack order she felt Kenneth grabbing her with her brother holding her arms Katie demanded to know what Kenneth was doing however Kenneth quickly interrupted her; "sorry about this Katie but it's too dangerous for you here if we're captured who knows what'll happen..." this confused her as she asks her bother what he meant by that but before she knew it Kenneth told her; "go live your life, do mom and dad proud and know I'm truly sorry for what I've done!" before pulling Katie into one last tight hug and after a couple minutes of holding his sister Kenneth shoved her into Contemillia's portal forcing it to close as Katie screamed out to her brother! Seeing Kenneth forcing the portal to shut infuriated Raphael as Kenneth responds by telling the warlord he was "too late now!" with a smug grin On his face; Raphael then begins shouting at the prince; "that portal was our only way to the other dimension; you'll pay for that, blast him!" and before Kenneth knew it he saw Raphael's army and their Pokemon launching attacks right at him as visions of his mom and dad appeared in Kenneth's mind before assuring the images of his parents he was sorry for what he had down before he saw an image of his sister ash and, Serena appear in front of him as he begs the images of ash and Serena to please take care of his sister as Raphael's army's attacks hit the rouge prince as well as what was left of the royal palace.

Meanwhile In Alola with Ash, Serena And, Lillie:

Ash, Serena and Lillie, had just made their way to the local Pokemon center at the insistence of Lillie and after sitting down an talking with the professor/champion of the Alola region ash and Serena finally finished their story about what happened to them; "and that's what happened..." after almost an hour of just staring At their cups of tea ash and Serena finally looked up at Lillie and were taken aback by the look of astonishment on her face. Making both ash and Serena feel awkward but truth be told Lillie didn't know what to say but after a couple of minutes of dumbfoundment Lillie finally responded; "no way; so you're saying this Dragonus, Ruler of the divine dragons is being held hostage somewhere on Alola, for the purpose of dimensional integration?" a question ash and Serena just responded to with a nod as Lillie reached into her bag and pulled out her cell phone. A sight that confused Ash and Serena as they quietly asked Lillie; "what she was doing?" and that's when Lillie informed ash and Serena that she "was having a thorough search of the entire region conducted so they could find Dragonus and the others!" at first Ash and Serena where skeptical Lillie could pull that off but Lillie quickly and confidently assured ash and Serena that of course she could after all not only Was she a professor here but she was also the new regional champion. Grateful of what Lillie was doing to help them.

Meanwhile with the Grandmaster and Dragonus in an unknown part of Alola:

As Dragonus Olympus and Primus continued to be chained down unable to escape from the Grandmaster's clutches Dragonus finally sensed the demise of the dimensional plain news he quickly, quietly and, remorsefully informed his brothers what has happened much to the disbelief of Primus as he quietly asked; "it's all gone?" but Dragonus was not only quick to answer with a profound yes but was also quick to remind primus that what happened was partially his fault!" while Olympus asked his brother "what they were going to do now?" to which Dragonus responded; "hold tight and hope ash, Serena and their other brothers can pull of a miracle because as Of right now that was all they can do!" while the Grandmaster stared down Dragonus so he can gloat; "with the dimensional plain gone there's only one phase left!" before giving Dragonus a cryptic threat; "and believe me phase two will be worse than you can ever imagine Dragonus!" while this did frighten Dragonus at the same time He began sensing something that renewed his hope; "wait a minute, what's this..." "There was one survivor from the dimensional plain!?" "Yes, i can sense it princess Katie survived!" while the revelation of Katie's survival relieved the ruler of the divine dragons that relief went way when Olympus grabbed his attention;

"Wait Dragonus look..." curious at what his brother was so anxious about looks down to the grandmaster as he... or rather she... mutters out; "man it's hot out here..." as she reaches for the hood of her cloak pulling it off and for the first time revealing her face. Upon seeing the Grandmasters face caused Dragonus' heart to drop as he immediately recognized her and Dragonus along with Olympus and, primus all knew they were in trouble as she wiped her brow and pulled her hood on back over her head as her servant calls out to her; "grandmaster we're ready!" this news clearly pleased the Grandmaster as she ordered her servant to throw the switch on their machine which powered up as it turned on its turret so it was now aimed right at Dragonus." but before Dragonus could even think of how to respond the Grandmaster gave the order to fire as a red colored beam hit Dragonus causing him to scream out in pain and for help. Drawing concern from Olympus and Primus. While giving a sense of pleasure to the Grandmaster as she started laughing manically and proclaiming; "now Dragonus you're mine!" as the ruler of the divine dragons continued crying out in pain; the sky began to darken giving Olympus and primus a sense that this wasn't going to end well.

Primus couldn't stand to see his brother like this; "what are you doing to him human!?" the guardian of energy asked rage and anger filling his voice. to which the Grandmaster responded by informing Primus and Olympus that he was draining their brothers power away, a revelation that filled Olympus and Primus both with disbelief. Primus sensing that this wasn't a joke turns to his brother Dragonus before giving Dragonus an apology for what he has done but, what Primus didn't expect was his brothers response. "Its okay Primus as long as you all are safe that's all that matters1" Primus couldn't believe what his brother just said which was evident to Dragonus as he asked him; "Wait you forgive me after all that I've done!?" a question Dragonus answered by assuring his brother even as he continued being drained like a battery; "of course Primus you're my brother i can never stay Angry at you guys..." a response which of course the Grandmaster mocked much to Primus and Olympus' anger!

Meanwhile back with Ash & Serena:

Ash and Serena had joined the search party their friend and current Alola champion Lillie organized to help find the Grandmaster and Dragonus but, alas hours of searching the east side of the region turned up nothing. Eventually Lillie managed to catch up to ash and Serena sadly having the same results as ash and Serena. Once Lillie delivered This disappointing news she joined another team of the search party to begin searching the west side of Alola. With Lillie gone Serena turned her attention to ash so she could share what's on her mind; "ash I'm worried; after all the grandmaster has had months for a head start!" this was a fear ash shared with Serena but even though the performer was  
Concerned and afraid about the situation another thought soon ran through Serena's mind; "Katie" before Serena assured herself that they would figure out what happened and save Dragonus for the princess of Tempalizin.

These thoughts where soon overcome by something else running through Serena's head and that of course was Dragonus himself. Serena  
couldn't explain how but she could sense his pain and even his location; confident ash sensed it too Serena asks ash if he had heard something to which ash responds to by telling Serena he did but that it wasn't something to worry about!" Serena couldn't believe what she had just heard so she reaches down and grabs her husband's wrist before dragging Him behind her as she headed towards the voice she heard. ash had never seen Serena act like this unless she was mad of course and eventually his curiosity overtook him before he finally asked Serena what she was doing a few moments of silence passed before Serena corrected her husband; "you're wrong ash, it's Dragonus ash i know where he is!" as she Continued to drag him along!

Back with the Grandmaster and Dragonus in an unknown part of Alola:

After several minutes of being hit by the Grandmaster's machine the pain inflicted on Dragonus finally stopped as the machine stopped but, this wasn't a good thing because once the machine stopped Dragonus' color faded away before the ruler of the divine dragon's carcass fell to the ground completely unresponsive horrifying Primus and Olympus as they demanded To know what the Grandmaster had done. the dragons where met by a laugh before hearing the answer to their question; "i just siphoned his power, his energy and his soul which has turned him into the empty shell you now see!" this disturbed the remaining two divine dragons but they refused to believe it as the Grandmaster ordered his own machine turned on himself before; Ordering his servant was quick to follow before blasting him with a blue colored beam which quickly faded as a smile crept up on his face as he informed Primus and Olympus that their brother's power was now his. This was once again met with skepticism which made the Grandmaster believe that a demonstration was in order. With that decided the Grandmaster lifted his  
Arm to the sky causing clouds to form overhead as lightning started striking the ground." the sight of a human controlling the weather immediately convinced Olympus but Primus on the other hand still wasn't. Which forced the Grandmaster's hand and before Primus even knew what was happening he saw the Grandmaster redirect the lightning overhead right at him causing The guardian of energy terrible pain; feeling this pain made Primus realize that the Grandmaster wasn't bluffing after all only Dragonus' power could truly hurt the divine dragons. Happy to see that he finally has made Olympus and Primus believers he discontinued his attack before ordering his servant to blast them both with his machine and once those red beams that turned their brother into an empty shell hit Primus and Olympus the two divine dragons began screaming in pain just like their brother did screams as the Grandmaster assures them soon enough their power would soon be his too.

Back With Ash & Serena:

Ash and Serena were continuing towards the hill in front of them where Serena was sure she heard Dragonus calling out to them in pain from a voice that died down a while ago causing the young couple to move with a bit faster pace fearful that what they were afraid would happen already has but as they continued to approach they both soon heard two more familiar voices screaming out in pain. These voices where certainly Olympus and Primus. Once ash and Serena arrived at the foot of the hill ash turned to Serena before telling her that she needed to be ready for anything before begging her to be careful a sentiment Serena repeated to ash as they slowly climbed up the hill and towards the bushes to get a glimpse of what Was going on but, nothing could've prepared them for what they were seeing Olympus and Primus chained down and being blasted by some sort of machine. While in the middle of them was a large fossilized shell of what looked like Dragonus. A sight that terrified ash and Serena as they began to wonder what happened to Dragonus while Serena directed ash to Olympus and Primus.  
Serena was confident whatever the Grandmaster was doing to them was hurting them. A feeling ash shared as he got up to move towards them determined not to let this go on any longer but ash felt Serena pulling his arm again. Serena determined to protect the love of her life begged Ash not to do it!

Ash truly understood Serena and appreciated that she was just looking out For his safety but seeing the pain their friends were in was something he couldn't ignore. After a few tense moments Serena finally agreed to go with ash but on the condition that she could send a message out to Lillie so at least someone would know where they were? Ash quickly agreed with Serena's request as he watched her dig in her vest pocket for her communicator; Which she quickly pulled out and typed in a brief message to Lillie before clasping it shut and placing it back in her pocket. with that done Serena slowly got up and along with ash sneaked up behind the Grandmaster before making their presence known by telling the Grandmaster in unison in the most confident tone of voice they could muster; "stop right there; that's enough!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

"Stop right there; that's enough!" were the words that caught the grandmasters attention as he slowly turned to face ash and Serena; "Ahh ash... Serena... so glad you two have come to join us..." the smooth confidence in the grandmasters voice was sickening to ash and Serena as they quickly demanded the grandmaster just "save it" a response that disappointed the grandmaster which was evident in his response. "what i am; i mean i would've preferred it if you met your demise on the dimensional plain but, then again i wouldn't get the pleasure of destroying you myself!" as if this revelation wasn't enough to make ash and Serena's blood boil the sight behind him definably was; behind the grandmaster was the horrifying sight of primus and Olympus crying in pain as the grandmasters machine continues to drain their life force away begging for ash and Serena to please save them as they cry out in pain it was truly a horrifying sight to the two trainers as they watched the guardians of energy and darkness' skins turn to the consistency of stone as they're lifeless bodies crash to the ground next to Dragonus's.

Ash and Serena were terrified at this site as they quickly demanded to know what the grandmaster had done to them to which the grandmaster responded with a laugh before informing Ash and Serena that they were about to find out. That's when the grandmaster ordered his servant to fire their machine at him like he had done before and once the red beam that was fired at him dissipates. he grandmaster finally answered ash and Serena's question; "all three of their powers are now mine!" a revelation that put both ash and Serena in as state of disbelief as the grandmaster continued on again; "their souls powers and energy are mine; these guardian dragons here, are just mere shells of their formers selves" as he pointed at the motionless almost fossilized bodies of the three dragons. With that revelation out in the open the grandmaster decided that he needed to make ash and Serena believers. as he raises his arm pointing it at the two trainers proclaiming; "primal energy burst!" at those words a bluish whit energy beam shot out from the palm and straight towards ash and Serena who were astonished that they were staring down primus' special attack but this time coming from a human. Fearful of what was about to happen ash instinctively grabbed Serena as they called out for mirror wall dragon that in short order descended from the sky to protect his dear friends. now mirror wall dragons appearance should have caused anybody to quake with fear but not the grandmaster in fact to the contrary as he proclaims with a laugh; "and now watch... as your precious dragon... the guardian of dimensions power... becomes mine..."

again another revelation that caused ash and Serena confusion as they swiftly asked the maniacal madman in front of them what he meant but rather than respond with words the grandmaster stretches out his arm pointing it at mirror wall dragon and using Dragonus' power begins to take mirror wall dragons power away; as soon as the blue colored beam hit the guardian of dimensions skin he began crying out in pain. The sight of their friend in so much pain brought tears to ash and Serena's faces a mirror wall dragon pleads with ash and Serena to save him. A request both ash and Serena where quick to respond to and comply with as ash called out Greninja and, Pikachu. while Serena called out Braixen before commanding their pokemon to attack the grandmaster with the hope that being attacked would get him to stop his attack and save mirror wall dragon but alias the attacks didn't achieve their goal as mirror wall dragon cried out one more time; "ash... Serena... I'm sorry... i can't take any more of this he's going to stupefy me..." ash and Serena couldn't believe what they just heard as they try to encourage the dimension guardian not to give up till it's over a motto both ash and Serena have lived by since they were little kids and a philosophy both ash and Serena believed in with all their hearts but this time it wasn't enough for mirror wall dragon as he cries out one more time; "it's too late... I'm sorry for failing you..." as his stupefied body falls from the sky and crashes to the Alolan soil with an impact so hard it forced his fossilized body to crack.

a sight that caused celebration from the grandmaster while ash and Serena slowly and remorseful made their way over to their friend with tears rolling down their faces as they whisper to the fossilized remains of mirror wall dragon; "mirror wall dragon we're so sorry... don't worry we'll save you and the others..." but their moment was soon interrupted by the grandmaster; "don't make me laugh..." a response which infuriated ash and Serena as the grandmaster gives them one more piece of advice; "oh and if i were you I'd stop grieving for him after all, you'll soon perish alongside your precious dragon!

of course ash & Serena weren't about to take the advice from the maniacal mad man standing in front of them rather the young couple gave him a defiant response; "not going to happen!" Ash stated in the most confident tone he could muster followed by Serena who assured the grandmaster; "we'll stop you and, we'll save mirror wall dragon and the others!" the naïve nature of ash and Serena was rather amusing to the grandmaster as he started laughing as he began taunting ash and Serena; "now that I'd like to see so come and get me!" it was soon evident to Serena ash was provoked by this as he angrily calls phoenix dragon to come down.

The presence of the sun guardian pleased the grandmaster as he was thrilled to see that phoenix dragon would be next but before he could start having fun. Serena pulled ash closer to her curious as to why Serena did this he turned to face her and he could see the genuine look of concern on her face as she began to speak to him with a slight trembling in her voice; "wait ash... we can't be too reckless... remember he can now syphon the titan's powers away for himself and if the grandmaster gets all of the guardian titans power he'll be unstoppable but, he can't do that to our normal pokemon" ash picking up on what Serena meant especially as he watched her call out all of her pokemon of Sylveon, Braixen and, Pancham! Seeing this he realized Serena was onto something so ash called out his pokemon too; Pikachu, Greninja, Sceptile and, Lycanroc. sadly ash wasn't the only one who caught on the grandmaster did too as he begins thinking to himself; "interesting they're trying to build a wall between me and phoenix dragon..." but what the grandmaster and even ash weren't aware of was that Serena wasn't done as she calls down for the sky guardian Osiris to join the battle as well. While ash was impressed at how much Serena was thinking this through the grandmaster was just amused as he informs ash and Serena that he knew what they were trying to do and sadly it wasn't going to work. the grandmasters words had a mixed reaction from the young couple while Serena was a little concerned, ash was confident that it was just a bluff ash's confidence did ease the performers concerns as they ordered their pokemon to attack the grandmaster.

But as ash and Serena's pokemon go on the attack the grandmaster laughed as he yelled out; "absorb reflection" and at those words a bright band wave of light came shooting out from his arm. The sight of this was horrifying to ash and Serena as they realized that he had mirror wall dragons power and that they had just sent their precious partners into a battle they couldn't win as their barrage of attacks is fired right back at them! ash was not just irritated he was worried he couldn't he wouldn't let anything happen to his one true love as he turned to Serena and yelled for her to get down but, noticing Serena was paralyzed with fear he jumped on Serena forcing her to the ground trying to keep her from getting hit. what ash and Serena didn't see however was all their partners getting mowed down leaving phoenix dragon and Osiris as the last ones standing as the grandmaster proudly proclaimed; "and now that nothing stands in my way; Osiris... phoenix dragon...you're mine!" As ash and Serena continued to lie face down on the ground groaning momentarily disoriented from what had just happened.

After what seemed like forever ash and Serena managed to pick themselves up from the Alolan soil only to be greeted by the horrifying scene of seeing all their pokemon "mowed down" which immediately drew ash and Serena's concern as they got up and ran to their pokemon who were lying on the ground battered, bruised and, groaning in pain. as the two trainers continue to check on their precious partners ash and Serena find themselves interrupted by the grandmaster and his dialogue; "don't grieve for them, after all you'll all be wiped out soon enough!" after the grandmaster after finishing his threat to ash and Serena makes good on it by using Dragonus' signature attack fire-blast; to finish ash, Serena and, their pokemon off! It was at this moment realization kicked in for both ash and Serena they had lost control of this battle and they were in way over their heads. the only thing they could do now was hope that a miracle could save them all and that miracle came in the form of a familiar female voice which rang out throughout these ancient dimensional ruins; "alright Solgaleo now!" it was then at his trainers command the legendary pokemon of Alola Solgaleo appears and counters the grandmaster's attack saving ash and Serena. Seeing the Alolan sun legendary was a relief to both of ash and Serena as they thanked Solgaleo and expressed to him how happy they were to see him. ash then realized something if Solgaleo was here that voice could've only been Lillie... speaking of the new Alola champion it was right about then Lillie came into view of ash and Serena as she continued to run through the center of the ruins. This interference infuriated the grandmaster as he yells to the Alola champion; why you meddling...

Do not interfere..." the anger spewing from the grandmaster was amusing to Lillie as she defiantly tells the grandmaster; "that's enough grandmaster you best remember you're in my region now and we do things differently here!" after those words were spoken from Alola's champion the atmosphere in the ruins changed it grew more tense so much so it felt like you could cut the tension in the air with a knife as the grandmaster launches mirror wall dragons signature attack "absorb reflection" at Lillie scaring ash and Serena as they plead with her to get out of the way but what ash and Serena didn't know was Lillie had a plan she had backup on the way and that is why the Alolan champion was still standing firm but in the back of her head she couldn't help but wonder where her backup was what was taking her so long. As the absorb reflection attack headed towards Lillie and Solgaleo another familiar voice rang out across the ruins;

"Squishy dragon pulse now!" after hearing it's trainers command a dragon pulse comes flying from behind Lillie disrupting the grandmaster's absorb reflection and stopping it causing more smoke to build briefly and once the smoke cleared out everyone was greeted by Zygarde and his trainer the new Kalos region champion Bonnie. seeing not just Lillie but now bonnie was a big relief to ash and Serena however; it was the exact opposite to the grandmaster as he angrily mutters out; "oh come on; now I've got not one but two regional champions, the Alola region champion!" as he looked on to Lillie and Solgaleo before shifting his gaze to bonnie and Zygarde before muttering again; and the Kalos region champion, standing in the way between me and my quarry!? As his gaze finally moves to Osiris and phoenix dragon who were standing behind their trainers ash and Serena.

While the grandmaster continued rambling on Lillie and Bonnie's attention turns to ash and Serena as they ask their friends if they were okay. To which ash and Serena assured the two champions that they were fine thanks to them. Relieved but still focusing on the matter at hand Lillie turns her attention to the robed figure standing across from them demanding to know what was going on here. As ash and Serena begin to explain; "that's the grandmaster of Tempalizin, he's capturing the guardian dragons and, taking their powers away and giving them to himself! This revelation was shocking to both Lillie and bonnie as they comment that they thought that was insane. Which again angered the grandmaster as he inquires to the Alola champion; "oh I'm insane am i?!"

before angrily launching another fire blast at all of them forcing Bonnies hand as she commands squishy to use dragon pulse to counter the grandmaster as their attacks fly across the sky and collide with each other over the ruins canceling one another out. as the grandmaster looks on at the pokemon that just stopped him as he began talking to himself; "well Zygarde from what i read you're a legendary but, my power is divine and as a result far greater!" before launching yet another absorb reflection attack at Zygarde concerning bonnie because now she's too late to order Zygarde to counter. Seeing this and knowing Bonnies concern ash and Serena decided to return the favor saving her and Zygarde like they had saved them. Ash quickly commands Osiris to launch a lightning blast while Serena commands phoenix dragon to use its blaze cannon to protect Zygarde. The attacks from the sky guardian and the sun guardian managed to overpower the grandmaster protecting squishy much to Bonnie's relief as she thanks her friends for saving squishy. a thank you ash and Serena both responded to before turning back to the grandmaster as ash calls out to everyone; "let's finish this right now!" a statement that Serena bonnie and Lillie quickly agreed with as they grandmaster laughed telling them; "as you wish!"

As the battle against the grandmaster begins in Alola back in ash and Serena's adopted home of domino a "visitor" has arrived it was none other than the princess of Tempalizin who had just fallen out of Contemillia's portal. After several minutes Katie picked herself up of the ground and gazed on at the city in front of her. It was then Katie realized what had happened to her as she decides to head into domino to look for someone who can help her.

Meanwhile back with ash, Serena, Lillie and Bonnie:

the smoke surrounding the dimensional shrine ruins begun to clear out revealing the grandmaster who continued to stand in the same spot he had before being attacked by Zygarde, Solgaleo, Osiris and, phoenix dragon; much to the surprise of everyone. Seeing that their attacks didn't even leave a scratch on the grandmaster which began to make bonnie nervous as she turns to ash and Serena to ask them; "how do we win against him?" ash and Serena could see the doubt coming from the new Kalos champion as they assured their old friend that they could win by "not giving up till it's over." the famous phrase both ash and Serena used all through their journey together and it was this phrase that raised Bonnie's confidence as they prepared themselves to attack again. while ash and Serena where playing the role of motivator the grandmaster continued to mock them all but, while the grandmaster continued this the gears in ash's head where beginning to turn as he came up with an idea that just might finish this battle off. in order for his plan to succeed though ash needed help from his most trusted human partner and best friend Serena; "I've got an idea; Serena you got my back right?" ash whispered to the performer who quickly responded; "you know i do ash always have always will!" Serena's response convinced ash that his plan can and will work as he asked bonnie and Lillie to please use Solgaleo and Zygarde to clear a path! A request Lillie and bonnie where quick to respond to as they ordered Zygarde and Solgaleo to attack with dragon pulse and solar beam.

the power coming from these legendary attacks could be felt as the earth began to tremble underneath everyone's feet and once the attacks hit the grandmaster who had foolishly let his ego get the better of him smoke began to build once again thicker than the last time and now with the stage set ash and Serena took a couple seconds to thank Lillie and bonnie before commanding the guardians of the sun and sky to unleash their power on the grandmaster to end this madness! With ash and Serena confident that the grandmasters reign of terror was over the young couple began to sigh in relief but Lillie and bonnie weren't entirely convinced that was the case as they question whether it really did work. it took several minutes for the smoke to clear out and reveal what really happened and when the smoke did dissipate it revealed an unbelievable sight the grandmaster was still standing seemingly un-phased. ash and Serena didn't know what to make of what just happened as they question the grandmaster on how he managed to survive that blast! to the grandmaster ash and Serena sounded so naive as he finally admits how he's been able to survive what would've ordinarily destroyed a million armies; "it's so simple i can't believe you haven't figured it out yet, i possess Dragonus' power making all your attacks completely useless!" it wasn't until this revelation was made that everything began to make sense he was invincible but realization came at a cost!

While Ash and Serena where trying to digest what they had just been told the grandmaster raised his arm and pointed it at Osiris and phoenix dragon as a red beam came shooting from his arm and when that beam made contact with the skins of the divine dragons they begun screeching in pain and apologizing to their masters ash and Serena for failing them. the grandmaster was draining them now; realizing this ash and Serena pleaded with the sky and sun guardians to get out of the way but it was too late after a few seconds their blue and yellow skins turned to a fossil tan color as the remains of the sun and sky guardians fell to earth, causing the ground to shake as they did so! This was more than Serena could bear as the grief stricken performer buried her head in ash's shoulder and began to cry before muttering it would take a miracle to save them now! As those words escaped Serena's mouth a strong and deep... No divine voice echoed across the sky; "that is enough!" not sure of what to make of the voice and unaware of where it came from the Kalos champion began to scan the sky where she noticed some kind of portal opening which she immediately directed ash and Serena's attention to and as their eyes gazed on the sky a legendary pokemon... no the pokemon god himself Arceus appeared dashing across the sky surrounded by a dazzling gold gleam as he did so. Nobody knew what to make of Arceus' appearance but it was Serena who managed to ask the question; "ash what's going on!?" Serena's question and the uncertainty of what would happen next had consumed ash now as he grabs Serena's waist pulling her closer to him as he finally responds; "i don't know Serena... I don't know!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:  
The smoke from the attack of Arceus continued to dissipate into the clear blue sky of Alola as Arceus himself continued to float there and once the smoke cleared out complete Arceus addressed the grandmaster. "Listen here human i won't allow you to absorb the divine dragons your actions are distorting the order i worked so hard to create!" before the god of pokemon stares down at the "fossilized" carcasses of the divine dragons that were laying upon the ground angering Arceus before he addressed him again sharing a revelation that frankly everyone was aware of at this point; by taking my different dimensional counterparts power you're destroying both of our worlds!" before pledging to strike the grandmaster down.

Arceus' rant however didn't succeed in striking fear into the grandmaster who quickly assured Arceus that his power was superior and it would indeed be Arceus that would be struck down! As the grandmaster continued on threatening Arceus; ash, Serena and the others continued to observe the two exchange insults. Serena grew more and more worried about Arceus fearful that the grandmaster may have the power to destroy him but Serena began to relax as she felt ash's arm wrap around her pulling her closer to him before assuring the honey haired performer that Arceus would be fine. A belief which was confirmed as the grandmaster began to attack but was stopped! He stood there unable to move and was unable to figure out why he seemed to be paralyzed!

as red lightning began to fill the sky Arceus' voice rang out once more; " now magical creatures!" after which two rifts began to appear on either side of the grandmaster and out of the rift on his left came Dialga the legendary pokemon that rules time! Which was noted by Lillie before Palkia began to emerge from the rift on his right as Bonnie noted; "Palkia the legendary pokemon that rules space" Palkia being a pokemon bonnie learned about during her travels in Sinnoh. seeing the three god pokemon was confusing to Serena but ash on the other hand was beginning to put two and two together as he whispers to her; "Arceus must've asked Dialga & Palkia to bend time and space around the grandmaster so he couldn't move Serena!" ash's observation which was showing to be accurate amazed Serena while infuriated the grandmaster who turned his attention back to Arceus who responds to the grandmaster; "and now like i said it shall be you that repents human!" as his life plates emerged from his body and began encircling the pokemon god illuminating the darkened sky as they did so and after four rotations one life plate broke formation and reentered Arceus causing his body to turn a light pink color as he completed his change to a fairy type! which once again confused Serena as she turns to ash and notes Arceus' color change ash smiles and answers his wife's curiosity by explaining to her; "he selected the fairy life plate Serena; which means Arceus is now a fairy type!" this amazed Serena as Lillie and bonnie begin to smile noting that since the grandmaster fused with dragon types; this attack can work! Before bonnie noted that the grandmaster also can't move as Arceus begins his attack shouting; "prepare for justice" his voice shaking the ground as he did so. While on the ground the grandmaster continued to struggle in an attempt to move just an inch but these attempts where in vein as Arceus' attack hit him causing smoke to build around him.

with heavy smoke in the air bonnie, Lillie and, ash and Serena who were still in one another's arms continued to watch on and wonder what they would see once the smoke clears as Arceus once again took to the sky overhead confident that this battle was over!"

Meanwhile at the domino coliseum in the city of Domino:

while things continued as normal in this sprawling metropolis inside the domino coliseum; ash and Serena's home Kenny and Kate Ketchum the son and daughter of ash and Serena where tearing up in front of the families video phone. On the other end of the video phone was professor Kukui who had just called to pass along the news he received from Lillie to the two of them, the news that their parents were found alive in Alola just a few short hours ago. The news was overwhelming to the two Ketchum siblings who quickly hugged each other as they shared tears of joy. With ash and Serena's disappearance months ago Kenny and Kate were almost certain that they'd never see their mom and dad alive again. This sight even brought a tear to professor Kukui's eyes too as he hung up the phone.

as the siblings continued to express their relief that their parents were okay they found themselves interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and a female voice calling out downstairs; "hello... is anyone here!?" hearing the voice Kate and Kenny just assumed that it was another coliseum challenger as they walk towards the staircase that leads down to their foyer.

as the Ketchum siblings entered the foyer they were astonished by who they saw standing there it was Katie who had just arrived in this dimension and while of course their mom and dad would know her but Kate and Kenny clearly didn't in fact Kate just stood there stunned as seeing her different dimensional Counterpart made her feel like she was gazing into a mirror while Kenny was convinced that his sister playing a trick on him as he questioned their "visitor"; "Kate!?" Katie didn't respond but the real Kate certainly did respond to her brother rather annoyed; "I'm over here doofus!?" as the two siblings began to squabble Katie not wanting to be rude quickly decided to introduce herself; "you must be Kenny and Kate, my name is Katie princess of Tempalizin I'm looking for ash and Serena!"

Katie's introduction created more questions than answers as they not only question Katie about being the princess of Tempalizin as well as the fact that she knew ash and Serena." Katie of course understood their curiosity and knew that this was going to happen but unfortunately she didn't have the time to tell Kate and Kenny the entire story as she quickly informed Kenny and Kate that this was "an emergency and she needed to talk to ash and Serena now!" still not knowing what to think of their strange visitor Kate and Kenny informed Katie that their mom and dad weren't here right now and that they were just found in Alola." the room went silent as Katie digested the information she was just told before telling the Ketchum siblings That meant; "she needed to go there too then" before turning around and running outside. still having questions Kate and Kenny quickly ran after Katie as she calls out; "guardian dragon of the underworld hear my cry..." at Katie's words echoed out the sky began to darken and lightning began to appear in the sky freaking the Ketchum siblings out as Katie finished her call; "come down Dagon..." and it was at those words a green dragon begun descending from the sky as he legs landed on the ground causing it to shake a little bit." the sight of Dagon standing in front of the Ketchum home was awing to Kenny and Kate who stood there in silence unsure of what to make of this because right now though that only their mom and dad could do this."

after about a minute Katie had mounted Dagon and told him that they needed to go to the region known as Alola to find and assist ash and Serena but before the two could take to the air Kate and Kenny came running up to Katie and Dagon and asked them if they could go to. Katie didn't know what to make of this because on the other hand she knew where Kate and Kenny were coming from as she felt the same way when her parents were brutally exterminated by her brother but at the same time wasn't sure if this was a good idea and there of course was also the matter of ash and Serena how would they react to Katie bringing their pride and joy into an area where they most certainly would be attacked and maybe even worse.

Seconds passed as Katie began to see the determination in the eyes of the Ketchum siblings and so reluctantly allowed them to board Dagon with her before taking to the air and unknowingly began heading towards the region of Alola where the "war of the worlds" has already begun!

Meanwhile back with ash and Serena in Alola:

Tension continued to fill the air as ash, Serena and everyone else continued to anxiously stare at the smoke that had built as a result of Arceus attack. After several tense minutes the smoke begun to clear out revealing a horrifying sight, the grandmaster was still standing there with a smirk on her face. The grandmaster was holding her arm but other than that appeared to have survived the attack unscathed.  
This confused not only ash, Serena Lillie and, bonnie but, Arceus as well. silence began to set in as the grandmaster finally and smugly addressed the pokemon god; "well Arceus I'll give you this you did manage to hurt me but, luckily for me your power alone wasn't enough to stop me." finishing her statement with a laugh. Hearing those words not only made the pokemon god realize she was right but also made him realize that in order to pierce through they needed the attack strength of a divine dragon to attack with Arceus simultaneously. Realizing this Arceus looks to ash and Serena and begins to speak with them;"In order to win; we need to combine the power of both dimensions, we need you to call a divine dragon!" words weren't spoken at first rather ash and Serena turn their gaze across the valley where their fossilized companions continued to lay and it was after this ash finally spoke up; "but the only ones left are Contemillia... who won't fight..." as Serena picked up where her husband left off; "and Dagon and Gorath but they're protecting..."

Serena couldn't finish her statement as the word protecting left the performers lips because as that last word escaped her mouth her mind goes back to Katie and the dimensional plain and how she desperately needed Gorath and Dagon to protect her since they were unable to. this thought brought tears to the performers face as she told not just Arceus but ash too that she "wouldn't do it, that she wouldn't take any advantage away to Katie and that she wouldn't put Katie in danger again." seeing Serena cry was too much for ash he couldn't bear seeing Serena cry as he took the performer in his arms in attempt to calm her down. While Arceus continued to plead with them that they had no other choice!

while the grandmaster just grinned before mocking this worlds last line of defense; "how sweet however, the time has come to finish you two off, well as soon as i finished these two off that is!" as ash continued to hold Serena he angrily stares down the grandmaster who has turned her attention to Dialga and Palkia who she was preparing to strike down using Dragonus' special power; "imperial dragon's wrath" hearing this worried Arceus as he knew what was about to come while his human allies just watch in horror as red lightning forms in the skies over their heads before striking the ground and eventually Dialga and Palkia themselves as ash and Serena called out in concern to the time and space guardian pokemon.

Seeing Dialga and Palkia being hit by this red lightning and crying out in pain was too much for ash and Serena as the couple agrees that they have to do something! seeing this the grandmaster halts his attack on Dialga and Palkia much to their relief before focusing on ash and Serena; "it appears you two want to try battling against me again!" a statement ash and Serena responded to with just two words; "we do!" as Greninja, Pikachu and Braixen stood by their sides.

This brought a smile to the grandmasters face as she taunted ash and Serena again; "well bring it on!" ash quickly commanded Greninja to use his cut attack while also ordering Pikachu to use electro ball. While Serena ordered Braixen to attack with fire these three on coming attacks didn't even make the grandmaster flinch rather it made him more determined to not allow those attacks to close in as the red lightning that struck Dialga and Palkia began to form in the skies over head once again. a sight that struck fear into ash and Serena because they knew what was coming and after only a minute more those three words escaped the grandmasters mouth; "imperial dragon rage" and with those words the red lightning in the clouds above came clashing down from the sky striking down Greninja, Braixen and, Pikachu in just a matter of seconds ash and Serena's strongest pokemon were eliminated. As ash and Serena run to their precious partners their faces so pale they could pass for ghosts as they begged their pokemon to respond to them. It was during this chaos that everyone could hear Arceus' voice ringing through the sky once again; "ash... Serena... quick use one of the remaining dragons..."

a request which was once again met with defiance from the performer as she yells out to Arceus; "no!" while ash after seeing the look of horror on Serena's face turns his attention to his and Serena's pokemon who are still being attacked and decides he needs to do something as he reached for his Pokèball belt; " I'm counting on you Lycanroc" ash whispered as the grandmaster smugly proclaims; "now cower before me" as the red lightning continued to break the sky wide open overhead but; before ash has a chance to call out Lycanroc him and the grandmaster are interrupted by a voice in the distance.

"sacred beast silvuddy, receive the fairy memory and dawn the armor clad in light to penetrate the heart of the man who has performed an un-holy fusion with the divine dragons!" ash and Lillie recognized that voice almost immediately as silvuddy came dashing across the valley before unleashing his multi attack against the grandmaster knocking her back and stopping her attack. Ash and Serena immediately took advantage of this minute of rest bit to run to their pokemon and check on them. after seeing their pokemon were okay Serena turned to ash and asked him who it was that saved them as ash responds to the performer; "it could only be one person" as Lillie who was currently tending to bonnie turned her head to the direction that monologue came from and finished ash's statement; "my brother" as Gladion emerged from the shadows before walking over to silvuddy but, Gladion wasn't alone as soon as he reached silvuddy four pokemon descended behind Gladion they were the four tapu pokemon of Alola tapu koko tapu lele tapu bulu and tapu reni.

The sight of Gladion silvuddy and the four tapu pokemon was a relief to ash, Serena, Lillie and, bonnie but to the grandmaster it was a real annoyance as he angrily resumed his attack on ash, Serena and, the others.

Meanwhile in the skies above Alola:

the divine guardian of the underworld Dagon continued to fly at low altitude as Kate, Kenny and Katie continued to scan the ocean underneath them until they finally gazed upon the Alola islands below and realizing that they were now over the Alola region Kenny and Kate informed Katie as such and hearing that they have arrived from her new friends Katie commands the divine guardian of the underworld to go ahead and take them down. A command Dagon quickly obeyed as he began to break through the clouds. As they descended closer and closer to the Alola islands

Meanwhile back with ash and Serena:

The battle continued to rage against the grandmaster who was growing more and more annoyed as tapu koko continued to charge at him with repeated attacks. After what seemed like hours the grandmaster finally decided he had enough as he uses imperial dragon rage to attack the guardian of mele Mele Island to finish him off but while the attack didn't succeed in destroying tapu koko it did manage to blast him across the valley. As tapu koko began to pick himself up the remaning three tapu pokemon rushed to his aid while Gladion, Lillie, bonnie and even Arceus. Began pleading with Serena to call on another divine dragon to break this stalemate but Serena continued to be defiant refusing to do so. seeing this ash decided it was his turn to plead with Serena as he put his hands on her shoulders and stared into his wife's eyes before pleading with her himself; "Serena i know you're trying to protect Katie i want to protect her too but we also need to protect everyone here now as well!" but once again Serena refused to listen to everyone and it was during their conversation the grandmaster decided to take advantage of the situation as he silently launched another attack at ash and Serena and it wasn't until their friends called out to them ash and Serena realized what was going on and seeing the blast coming towards them ash and Serena pulled each other close as they waited for what they were certain would be their end to come. ash and Serena were so focused on one another they didn't even notice Dagon descending from the sky and making a hard landing on the ground just in time to take the attack and protect ash and Serena. The sight of which confused everyone as they looked on wondering just what Dagon was.

Moments passed before ash and Serena realized they weren't attacked and when the young couple finally opened their eyes they were greeted by the sight of Dagon standing in front of them. the guardian of the underworlds presence wasn't only a surprise to ash and Serena but everyone including the grandmaster and, once the shock wore off a thought crossed Serena's mind as she turned to ash and asked if he called Dagon but ash was just as lost as Serena as he responds to her that he thought she did. To which Serena responds that it wasn't her. This situation made no sense to the couple that is until they heard a familiar voice calling from behind them in a confident tone of voice; " it was me!" the voice shocked ash and Serena as they slowly turned around almost in disbelief but sure enough there behind them was their friend and daughters different dimensional counterpart Katie and with her were their own kids Kenny and Kate. As ash and Serena stood there in stunned silence their son and daughter ran to them wrapping their arms around ash and Serena as they began to cry tears of joy.  
Joy that their mom and dad were alive and that this want a dream. it took the young couple a couple of seconds to realize what was going on but once they did like Kenny and Kate both ash and Serena began to cry tears of joy as they returned Kenny and Kate's embrace, overwhelmed that they were finally able to see their pride and joy again as ash and Serena whispered to Kenny and Kate that they missed them so much.

the Ketchum family reunion was very touching to Lillie Gladion and bonnie and even Katie cracked a smile which went away however as soon as she realized what was about to happen. she could tell the grandmaster was going to use this moment of distraction to attack again and sure enough the grandmaster began to call out an attack again and the former princess of Tempalizin was determined not to let that happen as she called out for the divine guardian of war; "Gorath!" and at the princess's call the sky began to darken as Gorath came down from the sky his white glowing humanoid body almost blinding Lillie bonnie and Gladion in the process and with the war guardian ready for battle Katie commanded Gorath to attack the grandmaster with his blade arm which sent the grandmaster flying across the valley as a result knocking him unconscious too...

At least for now; while in the sky Arceus continued to watch on before realizing that the tide of this battle has turned with Katie, Gorath and Dagon's arrival and that now was there chance to end this but, they'd have to work fast.  
The valley went quiet as realization has set in for ash and Serena realization that this was their chance; the realization that right here right now with their friends and family by their side. This was their miracle and this was their chance to end this. As they assured one another that now was their chance. a sight that the grandmaster wasted no time in criticizing as he tells the young couple; "that I'd like to see, so come and get me!" before raising his arm at ash and Serena to launch yet another blaze cannon blast. a smug expression creeping over what was visible of the grandmasters face as he did so but, luckily for ash and Serena they had a "guardian angel" with them in Katie as, she looks to her trusty ace Sylveon and orders her precious fairy type partner to use light screen to protect ash and Serena.

There wasn't a second wasted in Katie's thinking because as soon as Sylveon's light screen materialized in front of ash and Serena the grandmaster's blaze cannon attack made contact with it deflecting the blast away from not just the young couple but, their allies in bonnie, Lillie and Gladion which was met with sincere gratitude. after thanking Katie ash turned his attention back to Serena as he assures her that they can win before turning to what may have been the most obvious question in the world as he asked the honey blonde performer if she had his back to which Serena responded; "Of course i do ash always have always will" before smiling at him. The young couple then looked to Arceus as he continued to levitate above them joined by Dialga, Palkia and Giratina and asked the pokemon god if he had their back to which Arceus responded; "yes as do these magical creatures"

His divine voice continuing to echo with the roars of Dialga, Palkia and, Giratinia in the background; Ash then looks to Katie to ask her if she'd allow him and Serena to take control of Gorath and Dagon. A question Katie responded to with a nod instantly after all after everything the grandmaster had put her through she wanted revenge on this person no matter what it took. after nodding to ash Katie turned to her divine dragons and ordered them to go to ash and Serena and with Gorath and Dagon behind them ash and Serena put the final phase of their plan into action by asking not just Katie but Lillie, bonnie and, Gladion to clear a path and knock the grandmaster off balance! A request the Alola and Kalos champions quickly reacted too as Lillie commanded Solgaleo and bonnie commanded Zygarde to attack the grandmaster followed by Gladion who sent in the four tapu's of Alola followed by his "sacred beast" silvuddy.

Even Katie joined in sending a swift attack from her Sylveon. But what was most unexpected was even Kate and Kenny joined in even if ash and Serena didn't want them too as they are very protecting parents but there was no time to focus on that as the two siblings to control of their parents pokemon and sent them into battle too.

This barrage of attacks just kept coming and it appeared to achieve its goal of knocking the grandmaster off balance which did not go unnoticed by ash and Serena as ash called on Gorath to use his divine blade to attack the grandmaster while Serena commanded Dagon to use magma firestorm. only a few seconds ticked by as Arceus waited to merge the dimensions power to finally end this battle and when the moment was right Arceus along with Dialga, Palkia and, Giratinia launched their attacks towards the grandmaster as well and the timing could've not been any better as these attacks merged together prior to impact creating one final trans dimensional blast sending the grandmaster flying across the valley with a tremendous explosion followed by a large smoke cloud. Time itself felt like it had stopped as everyone watched the smoke waiting for it to clear out and to see what the final result would be. After a few minutes a light breeze picked up in the valley allowing for the smoke to finally clear out and reveal the grandmaster lying on the ground unconscious. which confused everyone as they thought the purpose of this attack was to destroy the grandmaster but when the question was raised to Arceus by ash and Serena the pokemon god had only one thing to say; "of course that didn't destroy him after all we still need him alive to restore order to all dimensions" it was at those words "restore order to all dimensions" a bluish white glow began to light up the valley as Contemillia the divine guardian of time materialized in front of them. The sight of which was only new To Lillie and Gladion as they looked on at the white sphere in disbelief about what could actually be happening; now of course being the guardian of time Contemillia knew time was a precious commodity as the grandmaster could wake up at any moment so without any further hesitation Contemillia begun using his telepathy to call out to Arceus; "all the pieces are in place!?" a question Arceus responded to with a yes. knowing the time had finally arrived Contemillia asked one more question of the pokemon god; "with all the components in place let's shall we show them the hidden power in this valley!?" once again Arceus just responded with a nod as the eight humans gathered in the valley looked on with confusion and frankly more questions than answers but before any of those could be asked everyone felt the ground start to tremble as if there was a giant earthquake striking the area. While at the same time a ghostly white mist began to develop everyone. this immediately panicked Kenny and Kate as they ran to their parents and just as ash and Serena took them into them into their arms and assured them that everything would be okay the trembling stopped as everyone looked on to see that the valley they had just fought so hard in had completely transformed!


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

As the trembling of the ground finally stopped ash, Serena and, everyone else opened their eyes to see a strange spring; this spring was bubbling inside a stone ring that was flanked by two stone columns with gold statues on top. The sight of the spring truly was a sight to see especially with the heavenly glow radiating from it. Lillie was particularly awestruck as she remembered reading about a place that fit their current location to a tee as she finally mutters out; "the spring of rebirth!?" Gladion hearing what his sister had just said turns to Lillie and tells her not to be ridiculous because the spring of rebirth was just a legend!" however both Arceus and Contemillia come to Lillie's defense by assuring them all that Lillie was right and this was indeed the "spring of rebirth" the revelation from the Pokemon god and divine guardian of time was simply incredible as it left everyone speechless.

The minutes past by until ash and Serena finally broke the silence and asked Arceus and Contemillia; why they had brought them here!? a question quickly answered by Arceus who informed ash and Serena that they were going to use the spring of rebirth to revive the dimensional dragons. A statement which amazed, shocked maybe even horrified everyone as they tried to argue with Arceus as if he had gone senile telling Arceus that was impossible. Silence quickly fell over the mysterious location until Contemillia finally spoke up again; " impossible!? nonsense nothing is "impossible" impossibility is just a limit we place on ourselves.." before Arceus and Contemillia asserted that in order to protect the order sometimes you must do what you must as they stared down Zygarde as he stood behind his trainer Bonnie. again silence fell over the area until it was broken by Lillie and Gladion who once again told Arceus and Contemillia that; "you can't bring the dead back to life... that action is forbidden." a response Arceus couldn't help but laugh at as he assured everyone that it may be impossible for humans." while ash and Serena's attention turned to Contemillia and told the time guardian that they still didn't understand but before Contemillia could respond to ash and Serena Arceus did on his behalf; "i see you all still don't understand, very well then allow me to tell you the story of how this sacred spring came into being."

Flashback begins (told from Arceus' point of view)

"you all know the creation story; how i hatched from my egg and went on to create the multiverse, but what most don't know is there is one thing i unknowingly created as well; "the spring of rebirth." creating the multiverse was truly exhausting, in fact afterwards my life force was nearly depleted but after its creation i began to explore. During which time i eventually came across this place; it was truly amazing so beautiful that i couldn't believe i wasn't aware i created it but when i saw that spring in this place i felt drawn to it and, while i could never be certain what my reason was whether it was confusion exhaustion fate or just instinct i got into the "magical water" of that spring and something incredible happened! I could feel the water restoring my strength and my life force and i soon understood this spring this valley could restore the health and life force to any vessel that was in its vicinity but, i also soon realized the peaceful nature of this place would end when a certain something happened.

Flashback ends:

as our heroes continued to stand in front of Arceus they were all still in a state of stunned silence still in disbelief that the legend of the spring of rebirth were actually true but, after minutes of dead silence Serena's curiosity finally forced the honey blonde performer to finally break the silence and ask Arceus; "what happened" to which the Pokemon god responded with three simple words; "humans... humans, happened!" before Arceus turned his head to gaze upon the spring of rebirth as Serena responded with a whisper "humans happened?! As her grasp on Kate's shoulders tightened before Arceus continued his story once again.

Flashback begins (told from Arceus' point of view)

"Correct you see one of the most common desires for humans is eternal life and, well this is the only place in the multiverse where that desire can become a reality! As a result; humans committed untold amounts of suffering death, war and, torture all justified by finding this place. Whether humans called it the fountain of youth the tree of knowledge, the cauldron of plenty names are irrelevant. It didn't change the fact that countless lives were lost over this place! So one day me and my different dimensional counterpart Dragonus ruler of the divine guardian dragons decided to work together to end that!"as Arceus continued to speak he found himself interrupted by ash and Serena who at this point were left with only one phrase to say; "end it!?" to which Arceus responded with one word; "correct!" before continuing his story once again; "correct me and Dragonus used our powers to seal this place away; while Contemillia over there at Dragonus' request placed the spring of rebirth out of sync with time itself! Making this place inaccessible and impossible to find thus transforming it into a legendary location!"

Flashback ends:

As Arceus finished his story he found himself staring our heroes down whom all were wearing looks of disbelief as they digested what they had just heard. our heroes stunned silence was only disrupted when Contemillia spoke up to reveal one more secret about the spring of rebirth; "it's true Dragonus helped Arceus hide this place but, it was you and you alone that created a key to break that seal just in case the springs services where needed again Arceus!" the revelation from the time guardian that the spring of rebirth had a key particularly peaked the interest of ash and Serena who at this point just wanted to know what this all had to do with them! So with that they turned their attention back to Arceus in hopes he would answer their remaining questions as they asked him about the "key!"

A request Arceus complied with as the Pokemon god finally revealed what this mysterious key actually is; "yes a key to unseal this place does exist, to open the seal at least one human and one Pokemon from each dimension must be physically present at the dimensional ruins." it was with that everyone was finally able to put two and two together with Arceus, Contemillia, Dagon, Gorath, Katie and, ash and Serena all in one place all the conditions were met to allow Arceus to break the seal and reveal this sacred place to our heroes but, right now everyone realized there was a bigger situation at hand. As Arceus finally made the suggestion that they now allow the spring of rebirth to restore the divine dragons. The ground around the spring began to violently shake once again as the fountain began to glow with a bright ghostly white light. A sight that caused Contemillia to conclude that the process appears to have already begun. As soon as the glowing steam from the fountain touched the fossilized remains of the divine dragons they began to glow with the same mysterious aura as different colored towers of light shot skywards.

Those beams of light were indeed the miracle ash and Serena had waited for; for far too long as everyone stood in awe at the sight of the fossilized shells of the divine dragons rose up from the ground with in those beams of light and one by one as the lights faded revealed the divine dragons had indeed revived! First was Primus followed by, Osiris, Olympus, Phoenix Dragon, Mirror Wall Dragon and lastly, Solarois. everyone trembled at the sight of their restoration this was truly the definition of a miracle everything they had worked so hard and sacrificed for had finally paid off and with nine out of ten of the dragons restored everyone turned their attention to the last pillar of light which glowed a bright bright yellow as Dragonus revived after what seemed like minutes but in reality was only seconds a pair of red almost demonic eyes opened within the pillar of light before it faded away revealing the ruler of the divine guardian Dragonus had revived for their floated Dragonus. Silence fell across the area as Ash Serena and everyone else stood there in awe. Several minutes passed until that silence was broken by Katie who excitedly called out to Dragonus!

"You're alive!" it was at that moment Dragonus spoke his first words since being resurrected; "yes it's true i no we live again" before turning his attention back to ash, Serena and, everyone else as they gathered around before delivering his next message to our heroes; "ash, Serena everyone; thanks to you all we've been saved from oblivion and, for that we are forever in all of your debt!" before delivering one final message to Katie the "lone survivor" of the dimensional plain "princess Katie" hearing her name Katie lifts her head to face the ruler of the mystical dragons as he delivered what may possibly be the most serious thing he's said in nearly a thousand years; "rest assured you have our deepest condolences as you've paid the highest price of us all in order to save us!" Katie didn't know what to say to Dragonus at that point the princess soon found herself consumed by her emotions so Katie slowly lowers her head down and hid her face with her hat so no one would see her crying but try as she might to hide it her response did not go unnoticed by ash and Serena as they proceed to check on their daughters different dimensional counterpart to make sure she was alright. While Bonnie Lillie and Gladion's attention turned to the grandmaster who was still lying unconscious on the ground realizing that the grandmaster was the only thing left to take care of.

After assurances from Katie that she was okay ash and Serena's attention soon turned to the grandmaster as well and agreed with Bonnie, Lillie and, Gladion's assessment that the only thing left to do was to deal with the grandmaster. soon enough even Dragonus shifted his focus to the grandmaster as well before speaking once again; "i see our captor is still amoungst us!" ash and Serena then look to Dragonus and tell him that all they needed to do was take care of him!" the word him caused Dragonus to raise an eyebrow... well it would've if he had one before dropping the biggest bombshell so far in the mystery that has drug ash and Serena through both dimensions of the multiverse and gave them their greatest challenge ever. that bombshell came from Dragonus as the breeze kicked up again blowing the Grandmasters hood off as Dragonus announced" the grandmaster isn't a man!" with the Grandmasters hood blown off our heroes caught a glimpse of a woman that greatly resembled Lillie and Gladion's mother the president of the Aether foundation Lusamine. much to everyone shock and disbelief as ash and Serena turned to the Aether siblings and stated what at the time seemed obvious; "your mother is the grandmaster!?" and while Lillie didn't even distinguish that with a remark the young couple could hear Gladion mumble under his breath; "actually why doesn't that surprise me!" As he thought back to all the things his mother had done throughout the year but eventually Dragonus spoke up again to defend the Aether siblings mother; "not quite that's not who you humans call Lusamine; it's Sara a former loyal disciple to the divine dragons on the dimensional plain!" suddenly things made more sense to ash and Serena as they began to realize that this Sara was most likely Lusamine different dimensional counterpart as they watched their daughter Kate standing next to Katie but there was one question remaining for the young couple as they turn to Dragonus and that is; "what will he do to her!?" and after asking that question to the ruler of the divine dragons Dragonus finally responded; "make her repent for her treason & betrayal; of course but, first i shall strip our powers from her!" after finishing his decree Dragonus uses his power to take away the powers Sara had absorbed." after retrieving this power Dragonus began to wonder to himself what he would do with this residual power a thought ash picked up on thanks to his and Serena's telepathic connection to the divine dragons.

Using that connection ash began talking with Dragonus asking Dragonus if he'd do something for him! Little did anyone know ash was thinking back to earlier and how Gladion came to his, Serena, Lillie and Bonnies rescue saving them all from almost certain death but most importantly to ash Gladion saved Serena's life. Saving his wife's life was an action ash felt needed to be repaid and he soon came up with a way to thank Gladion. Sensing what ash was feeling Dragonus complied with Ash's wish and as everyone looked on Dragonus began using the power he absorbed to craft a new round object closely resembling a "memory" for gladion's ace silvuddy. Several moments passed before the materization of this new memory was completed. Once this new memory was completed it began to radiate between the colors blue to red to yellow back and forth as Dragonus passed it on to ash while everyone else watched this sight in silence.

With this new memory in hand ash thanked Dragonus before turning to Gladion and placed this new memory in his hand insisting that he take it as Dragonus informs everyone that he calls this new object "the divine memory". This confused Gladion as he expressed to ash that he didn't understand. all ash could do was smile as he told Gladion why he's giving this brand new memory and quite possibly the most powerful memory in Gladion and silvuddy arsenal and it was then ash finally explained to Gladion what he was thinking; "Gladion if you hadn't arrived when you did me, Serena, Lillie, and, bonnie would've been dead!" it was at that moment Gladion began to understand what was running through ash's mind although Gladion still felt ash didn't need to do this because, Gladion felt he was just doing what anyone else would do. but ash wasn't done he had one other thing to confess to Gladion the true reason ash felt compelled to do this; "i know Gladion but you saved Serena's life and, that ash was forever thankful for that but the last words ash said spoke volumes to everyone but no one more that Serena as she heard ash's words leave his mouth; "after all i couldn't live without her! "So please take the divine memory as a thank you from me Gladion!" tears could be seen rolling down Serena's face as she whispered out to ash.

It wasn't until ash finished Gladion finally understood ash's feelings and at this point Gladion felt he just couldn't say no as he cautiously accepts the newly crafted "divine memory" from ash but little did Gladion know ash did have a "catch" planned as ash made Gladion promise him that as soon as Gladion and Silvuddy mastered using the divine memory Gladion is to come to domino and show him and Serena.  
these were conditions Gladion was more than happy to agree to as they two young men shared one more handshake as Lillie Bonnie and everyone else came up to Gladion to thank him themselves. While Arceus and Dragonus attention turned back to Sara who was still lying on the ground unconscious. their struggle had come down to this and Arceus and Dragonus were more than ready to make Sara repent for her actions as Dragonus and Arceus took to the air once more and once Dragonus reached a suitable altitude begun to conjure up the attack that had made his brothers suffer "imperial dragons wrath" as he told the unconscious grandmaster; "alright Sara prepare to repent!" as Arceus chimed in by telling Sara; "now you shall be banished to another alternate plain!" before both Arceus and Dragonus finished their statement in unison; "from which there is no escape!" As Dragonus and Arceus attack the unconscious grandmaster with Dragonus using "imperial dragons wrath!" while Arceus attacked with his judgment and once the anger of the gods attacks hit Sara she disappeared!" as Dragonus and Arceus assured everyone that their long battle was finally over and Sara had now been exiled to a place where she could never return from." much to everyone's relief.

Several minutes passed as our heroes reflected on the conclusion of their long hard struggle. Content with this sight Arceus felt that now was the time for him Giratinia, Palkia and Dialga to return to their own worlds and with that decided the four divine Pokemon open rifts to their own worlds leaving our heroes alone once again. shortly afterwards Dragonus and the divine guardian dragons felt that it was now time for them to return home but not before once again thanking ash Serena and everyone for saving them and thanks to all of them their dimensions were now safe and that they are now able to maintain the dimensional order; and with that he and his brothers would now return to the dimensional plain..." as his brothers remind ash, Serena and, Katie that if they ever need their services they will always be at your call and that they sincerely felt that they'd meet again and battle alongside once another soon." before the divine guardians began to fade out into oblivion.

Leaving no one but our human heroes left at the dimensional ruins but soon enough Lillie and Bonnie took their leave as well after all with both of them being the champions of their respective regions had extremely busy schedules back home especially now that they had dropped everything to save not just ash and Serena but the world and although Lillie and Bonnie had busy schedules to return to they were quick to make sure that they didn't leave before making sure everything was okay for ash and Serena. and once the young trainer performer couple assured them everything was fine the Alola and Kalos champions departed after which Gladion decided it was time for him to go too but not before assuring ash that it wouldn't take long for him and Silvuddy to master the divine memory so they'd see them soon enough!"

A promise ash was determined to hold Gladion to as he gave him his trademark fist pump as the older Aether sibling disappeared from view leaving the Ketchum family alone for the first time in months. Now like most parents do the first thing ash and Serena did was hug Kate and Kenny assuring them that they were so happy to see them and that they were okay and safe. before Serena like atypical mother changed the topic back to how Kenny and Kate looked; they looked absolutely fifthly and it was then ash made the suggestion that they returned home an idea that brought a smile to Serena Kenny and Kate's faces as they began to walk away leaving Katie standing at the dimensional ruins alone the quietness in the air finally allowed Katie to contemplate what to do next as she reminded herself that she now had no home no family and that she was all alone that is at least until she heard Serena call out to her in a sincere concerned tone of voice; "Katie aren't you coming!?"  
Serena's words confused the princess as she asked the honey blonde performer; "you mean i can come with you!?" hesitation evident in her voice as Katie truly didn't want to intrude and burden on ash and Serena after all they were finally back home with their friends and family but the princess couldn't have imagined the response she'd get back as it wasn't just from Serena it wasn't just from ash it was from ash, Serena, Kate and, Kenny who called out to her; "of course Katie; not only did we promise your parents we would look after you, after everything that we've been through Katie you're a part of our family now!" Katie didn't say a word but she could feel a tear running down her face that tear of course was not from sadness it was a tear of joy as Katie felt joyful that she finally had a place to belong she finally had a family again and so without delay after hearing ash, Serena, Kate and, Kenny's response Katie who is overcome with happiness that she's no longer alone excitedly runs over to join her "new family."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:  
The flight from Alola to ash and Serena's adopted home of domino proved to be yet another uneventful one as the Ketchum families' plane finally touched down at the domino international airport. luckily for all of them however since domino was their home city there weren't massive freak-outs over ash and Serena being there unlike other places in the world where they travel to where fans of theirs would come out of the woodwork in an attempt to mob them.  
no here in domino it was just like any other day with the exception of residents whispering about Katie as she walked in between Kate and Kenny which was honestly anticipated by everyone as Kate and Katie were essentially like twins but that was something they all agreed could be explained another day as the now bigger Ketchum family walked out of the airport where they were greeted by the glistening skyscrapers and buildings of the city. The sight of their adopted city was certainly a welcome sight to ash and Serena who had just spent the last several months wondering around in a parallel universe.  
as ash and Serena continued gazing at the city in front of them an awkward silence began to creep in until ash finally broke it by whispering to Serena; "it sure feels good to be home doesn't it Serena!?" it was a question Serena answered with just a smile and nod as she turned to face Kenny Kate and Katie before suggesting that they all went home.

A few minutes later:

After several minutes of walking ash, Serena and their newly expanded family finally arrived at the home ash and Serena worked so hard to obtain the legendary domino coliseum. which to anyone else would be an intimidating place for anyone to call home but ash and Serena well mostly Serena was able to rise to the challenge to make this place like a home to everybody but, Katie would have to wait just a little while longer to get use to her new home as Kate takes her hand and starts pulling Katie back towards town. While happily exclaiming to the former princess of Tempalizin; "come on Katie I'll show you around the city!"  
Now of course Katie didn't know what to say so she just allowed Kate to drag her towards town with Kenny not too far behind them as they shouted to ash and Serena; that they'd be back later. a statement that caused the young parents to laugh before Serena yelled back to them; "don't go too far you three it'll be dinner time soon!" with the three kids gone ash and Serena found themselves alone again finally giving ash and Serena a quiet moment to reflect as they grasped each other's hand and walked in to their home.  
Inside the foyer of the battle coliseum ash and Serena were greeted by their recently redesigned foyer which was the last project on their home Serena oversaw before leaving for Alola and that ill-fated trip to the dimensional plain. it was exactly how Serena imagined it in her head with its polished oak wood paneling walls and blue with a yellow flower print pattern carpeted floor completed by a new black staircase that led up to the private second floor of the battle coliseum the part of the battle coliseum the Ketchum family called home. As ash and Serena began scanning the room to take in the sight of the foyer now that it was finally done and they were both extremely happy with the remodel. it was about this time a woman wearing a red and black dress with her jet black hair tied in pig tales came walking up to them it was kali the former head assistant of the Laverre city gym in Kalos until her and her former boss Valerie had a bit of a "fallout" after which Serena offered her a job to come work for her and ash and help them run the domino battle coliseum a job offer kali quickly snatched up. As kali approached her new employers with a smile on her face as she told them; "well aren't you a sight for sore eyes, welcome home Serena... ash..." before giving them a small curtsey bow.  
a gesture which brought a smile to both ash and Serena's faces as they thank her and get down to the business of asking them how things went while they were gone with Kate and Kenny in charge?  
it was a question that kali answered with a smile before reassuring the young parents that their kids did just fine running the battle coliseum." a revelation that made the young parents very proud and pleased before ash began to reassure Serena that Kenny and Kate had done fine in their absence something ash had to constantly reassure Serena of while they were trapped on the dimensional plain. After the reassurances were out of the way kali quickly changed the subject by asking ash and Serena if they'd like to view the records that accumulated in their absence. Something ash was extremely eager to do but Serena on the other hand looked at the time and figured she had better get dinner started. after declining to go look at the records and go start on dinner Serena found herself being stopped by ash who told her he'd go with her and help her.  
a gesture the honey blonde performer found to be very sweet but she knew ash was really anxious to see what occurred while they were gone after all when it came to the battle coliseum ash truly was a "workaholic" so Serena just decided to tell ash to go ahead and get to work on looking at the records before telling her husband that she'd go make dinner. something that made ash feel guilty but before he could even argue with his wife he found himself being kissed on the cheek by Serena as she reassured ash that she appreciated the offer but she had everything under control." before heading upstairs to where their kitchen was located as Serena began climbing the staircase she heard ash yelling to her that; "if she needed any help..." but before the raven haired trainer could finish he heard Serena calling back to her; "i won't hesitate" with Serena out of sight ash and Pikachu walked down the hallway opposite the staircase which lead to not only the battle arena but ash and Serena's small study where the young couple treated as an office for running the coliseum among other things.  
Meanwhile with Serena:  
Serena had finally made her way to their family kitchen which was painted in a light brown colored paint with grey tile back splash and floors. Once inside the kitchen Serena opened the drawer sitting next to the door and pulled out her apron along with a small remote for her cd player. once Serena selected the song she wanted to listen to Serena swapped out her red touché vest for her apron and with her vest now hanging on the hook she reached into the vest pocket to retrieve Braixen's Pokeball and with Braixen's Pokeball in hand the honey blonde woman called out her ace Braixen and asked her if she'd help her with dinner? A request the fire fox happily agreed to as she responded with a nod. After a few minutes Serena began to have a thought cross her mind.  
No it wasn't a thought it was a feeling a feeling that something was off but the honey blonde woman just shook the feeling aside and resumed cooking with Braixen.

Meanwhile back with ash:

Ash and Pikachu had finally made their way to ash and Serena's study and after unlocking the door ash and Pikachu wandered inside as ash clapped for the lights to come on before closing the door. With the lights now on ash scanned the green colored room as his eyes focused on a pair of large oak desks that sat facing one another one for ash and one for Serena place in such a way so they could look at one another when they talked. As ash approached his chair which was covered with a very soft red fabric;  
Pikachu wandered over to his special pokemon bed which sat right under the window allowing the sun to warm up Pikachu's yellow fur. Once Pikachu got comfortable he began to doze off while ash took a seat at his desk and began to scan through the papers sitting there and after which ash got a clear picture of what actually happened while him and Serena were gone;  
"there were 104 battles at the coliseum during that time and of those 104 battles there were only two losses" statistics that brought a smile to the young fathers face as he recollects on just how proud he was of Kenny and Kate and the job they had done." as ash continued to sit there a feeling begins creeping into his mind and unbeknownst to him it was the same exact feeling Serena was having at that very same moment and that was the feeling that "something was off!"  
Finally after a few minutes of sitting in silence ash decided he couldn't take it anymore he needed to talk to Serena so without saying a word ash got up from his desk chair and exited the room to track to the kitchen where Serena was busy getting dinner ready. Once ash made his way to the kitchen he was greeted by the aroma of Serena's soup and the sight of Serena chopping salad with Braixen. Ash stood in the kitchen doorway for a several minutes before being noticed by Serena who finally lifted her head from her cutting board.  
seeing ash like it always has brought a smile to Serena's face as she acknowledged her husband; "oh hey ashy; i think i got a handle on dinner we should be ready to eat in about an hour!" a statement ash responded to with a nod before whispering under his breath "okay great" before slowly walking over to the kitchen table and taking a seat. An action that caused Serena to grow concerned as she asked ash;  
"If everything was okay and if he was alright." rather than answer Serena's questions ash asked Serena if he could ask her something. A question Serena answered with the obvious answer; "sure."  
As she reached behind her back to undo her apron before hanging it up on the wall hook before sitting at the table with ash to hear what he had to say. once seated Serena restated her first question to ash; "what's going on!?" and after taking a heavy sigh ash finally began to express what was on his mind with Serena; "Serena since we've gotten back to domino; have you had the feeling that something is..." but before ash could finish his question Serena was able to finish it for him with one simple word; "off!?"

an action that amazed ash but didn't surprise him after all Serena was always able to tell what he was thinking probably because they think so much alike but this time was different because truth be told Serena was thinking the exact same thing. something ash immediately picked up on as he responded to his wife; "yeah... i take it you have then!?" rather than hear an answer he felt Serena's hand slowly rest atop his before the honey blonde performer spoke again; "i sure have ash; it feels strange all were doing is going back to our everyday lives but, now everything feels strange everything feels different."  
once again amazed but not surprised as ash assured Serena he knew what she meant as the honey blonde woman lowered her head to gaze at the table before speaking again; "i mean of course things are different we have returned home from an adventure in a different dimension, where we gained a new family member in Katie." "as well as control over all ten divine guardian dragons!" as Serena finished sharing her thoughts to ash the raven haired trainer smiled as he realized he wasn't alone.  
that Serena was thinking the exact thing as the raven haired trainer took his second hand and rested it on Serena's hand that was resting on his own before whispering in an almost inaudible level; "we sure have learned a lot over these last few months." while Serena who was so relieved that ash was thinking the same thing she was echoed the sediment that the performer was sure ash was feeling; "we sure did; i just didn't expect everything to feel this different!" before asserting to ash that they needed to figure something out a way to return a sense of normalcy to their lives but, before the couple could think of anything they found themselves interrupted by the sound of the kitchen timer going off signaling to the young couple that their dinner was ready. as the kitchen finally fell back to silence now that the timer had finished ringing the trainer and performer decided they'd resume their conversation after dinner as Serena got up from the table to return to the oven as ash instructed Pikachu to go ask Talonflame if he'd go find Kenny, Kate and, Katie while i help Serena get dinner finished!?  
instructions Pikachu accepted with a small salute before exiting the kitchen to echo them to Talonflame as ash got up to help Serena brining a smile to the performers face in the process.

Meanwhile in domino with Kate Kenny and Katie:

As Kenny and Kate finished giving the tour of their home town to the former princess of Tempalizin they asked Katie what she thought and to be honest Katie was in awe domino was incredible it was so big and far surpassed anything they had on the dimensional plain even in the capital of Tempalizin. Sure her parents strived to make things better they couldn't control how their cities would be pretty much destroyed every other week when the titans would get into an argument with one another. As a result most of the buildings she was used to were modest and made out of materials that allowed buildings to quickly be rebuilt pretty much the exact opposite of the city she would now be calling home. as the three trainers finished their discussion they were interrupted by Talonflame circling above them signaling the three of them that dinner was ready and it was time to return home as the three children followed the fire bird back to their home as fast as their feet would carry them.

Once the three trainers returned home they opened the door to their family dining room where they were greeted by ash and Serena sitting next to one another sipping on their tea in front of their dinner which was already dished up. A sight that immediately brought the three of them to their seats as Serena tells everyone to "dig in." Before the five of them began to quietly eat their meal; an hour later once everyone had eaten their fill and unanimous consciences that the meal was excellent which Serena determined just by the looks on everyone's face. The newly expanded Ketchum family got everything cleaned up from dinner and got ready for bed which gave ash and Serena an opportunity to resume their earlier conversation as they sat in their bedroom.  
Serena was the first to readdress the topic of trying to return getting things back to normal; by telling ash that she had thought of an idea about that as she took a seat next to ash at the foot of their bed. It was a revelation ash was very curious about as he anxiously waited to hear Serena's idea but before her thought could escape her lips Serena found herself interrupted by a crash coming from down the hallway. It was needless to say that the noise peaked ash and Serena's curiosity as they ran out of their bedroom and down the hallway to investigate. once at the end of the hallway ash and Serena learned what that crash was because at the end of the hallway they saw the closet door opened and a mess of boxes and papers scattered all over the floor with blankets that became unfolded resting on top of that with Katie Kate and Katie standing around the pile before Kenny and Kate explained to their parents that they were just trying to get the extra blankets for Katie.  
as the three of them continued to apologize Serena began to annoyingly hum while ash was trying to contain his laughter as he assured the three of them that it was alright and suggested that since it was getting so late why don't they just go get some sleep and that they'd worry about this mess first thing in the morning. It was a suggestion that ash thought was reasonable but it really did annoy Serena to leave a mess like that but rather than get angry over something so simple she just whispered; "right." clearly annoyed that she had to go along with this.

The following morning:

As morning arose across the city of domino the newly expanded Ketchum family had finished breakfast and had turned their attention back to cleaning up the mess that Kenny, Kate and Katie made the night prior. Something the three of them continued to apologize to ash and Serena for as they assured the three trainers that it was alright after all accidents happen. but as they all continued to sift through the mess Katie came across a large book that was wrapped in brown binding and had the imprint of two bells ringing on the front of it with a strange inscription under that reading "SatoSere" intrigued by her find Katie walks over to ash and Serena who were sorting papers back into file folders to ask them if they knew what she had just found. As Katie handed the book to Serena the honey blonde woman could feel teas rolling down her face.

The book the former princes handed Serena was precious to her it was Serena and ash's wedding photo book that Lillie had gotten professionally made for them as a wedding present. Hearing what the book contained immediately caused the three young trainers to perk up as they begged ash and Serena if they could look through it together? it was a request that brought a smile to both ash and Serena's face because truth be told it was something they'd like to do too but first things first they needed to get this mess cleaned up. Agreeing to the terms the five of them quickly cleaned up the mess left from last night and headed into the family room to take a stroll down memory lane  
once in the family room ash and Serena took a seat on the couch with Kenny Kate and Katie surrounding them as Serena opened the photo book where on the first page was Serena's personal favorite which depicted her in her strapless pink wedding gown and ash in a black suit standing in front of the alter as ash held her hand. it was a beautiful picture according to everyone and that just continued to cause Serena having tears of joy slide down her face as ash smiled before turning back a few pages to show everyone his personal favorite and that was the picture that was taken at the after party where hi and Serena shared their first dance as a married couple.

Again it was a picture that echoed the sediment of how happy ash and Serena were together. It was also then that both ash and Serena subconsciously turned the page of their wedding album together showing one more picture that depicted ash and Serena sitting next to one another in their wedding attire with all of their friends surrounding them. it was at this picture Katie made the remark that ash and Serena looked so happy an observation shared with Kenny and Kate as Serena who still had tears of joy sliding down her face as ash responded; "we were it was our "real start"..." it was the last two words of ash's statement "real start" that dug into Serena's mind it was those two words that caused the gears inside the honey blonde haired woman to turn as she finally exclaimed out loud; "Ash that's it!" causing ash, Kenny, Kate and, Katie to stare at Serena in confusion.

several minutes of quiet confusion followed until ash decided to finally speak up to his wife just as confused as everyone else as he asks her; "a restart!?" hearing ash's question made the honey blonde performer realize that ash hasn't caught on yet so Serena decides to elaborate; "yeah ash i mean now we have control of all the guardian dragons, Katie has joined our little family. we learned so much, we're truly at our best now and i think that's why we haven't been able to get things back to normal around here, so why not hit the restart button and reset everything!?"  
after hearing what Serena had to say the room fell silent as Katie, Kate and, Kenny just sat there unsure of where this was going ash; hearing Serena's reasoning finally made him realize his partner was onto something a thought he was quick to share with Serena; "sounds like an awesome idea to me Serena" hearing ash's response brought a smile to Serena's face as ash asked her one more question and that was; "what she had in mind!?"hearing ash's question caught Serena off guard that is until she began to scan the room until her attention comes to rest on her and ash's wedding photo book and once Serena's electric blue eyes gazed at the open photo book that she had an idea an idea she wanted to share with ash right then and there as she took ash's hand and asked him; "why don't we start by renewing our vows ash!?"  
Serena's suggestion brought a smile to ash's face as just like Serena gazed over to their open wedding photo book before telling Serena that; "he'd love to do that!" which brought a bright shade of pink to Serena's face as well as an ear to ear smile as Katie Kenny and Kate assured ash and Serena that it sounded like a great idea to them and just like that with unanimous consensus it was decided that ash and Serena should hit the restart button by renewing their vows to one another.  
A few weeks later:  
The day had finally arrived the day ash and Serena was set to renew their wedding vows and domino was abuzz over the news. ash and Serena had decided to hold the ceremony inside the domino battle coliseum not just because they had made their life here but Serena also wanted to show off a "new toy" that Clemont had installed for her it was called the "hollow web virtual simulation system" which with a flip of a switch could change the atmosphere of the domino coliseum to any setting her or ash chose. this system was originally built for pokemon showcase tournaments or contests Serena would occasionally host but today Serena wanted its first test drive to be for giving her and ash the perfect setting for this but as preparations were underway inside outside the media was beginning to congregate in hopes of getting exclusive pictures or remarks since the ceremony taking place inside was private no media or public permitted and as the time drew closer a newscaster from domino city news was the first reporter to take to the air; "this is the big day everyone all eyes are on domino as world champions ash and Serena Ketchum's ceremony to renew their wedding vows get underway and, although the ceremony is private and being held behind closed doors everyone out here is eager to get the first comments or photos of the couple since their mysterious return."

Meanwhile inside the domino coliseum:

Kali alongside an aid from Clemont's workshop had just inputted the setting Serena picked into the hollo-web system and flipped the switch which changed this big pokemon battle arena into an Oceanside beach in a matter of minutes. which brought awe to all the guests that had gathered there not just because of the impressive and realistic view but Clemont's machine also perfectly emulated the sound of a quiet beachside the smell of ocean air as well as a warm ocean breeze for added effect simply put if you didn't know better you'd think you were at the ocean it was that realistic.

meanwhile in the audience as Kenny, Kate and Katie were still awe struck by the scenery in front of them grace and Delia began talking to one another as they agreed that there kids certainly had done well for themselves and that they never seen them so happy before. as kali, Seto and two additional aids ask ash if everything was "good to go?" ash instructed them that they weren't ready yet that is until a strong voice cut through the air forcing silence from the crowd as the god like voice announces; "sorry to keep you waiting ash..."  
before a rift appeared over the left side of the coliseum out of which came Dragonus and the other guardian dragons bringing shock to everyone as the ruler of the divine dragons explained that they wouldn't miss this for the world a statement that brought a smile to ash's face that  
The divine guardian dragons accepted his and Serena's invitation before turning to the minister that would be presiding over today's events and told them that now they were ready. Hearing this; the minister who was still in shock by seeing the ten divine dragons there nodded his head as music played that signaled Serena's entrance.

As Serena made her entrance and walking towards ash the raven haired trainer was left just as stunned as he was when he and Serena first got married. just like she always did Serena looked perfect in her pink dress something ash couldn't help but compliment her on as she finally took her spot next to him; "you look amazing Serena" it was a small compliment but one that managed to bring a smile to her face as the minister finally got the ceremony underway; " ladies and gentleman we're here today to witness the couple of ash and Serena Ketchum as they renew their vows to one another; so with that ash would you like to begin!?" it was an opportunity ash wouldn't have passed up for the world as he nods to the minister before facing Serena and beginning his completely from the heart words to her;  
"Serena we've been through a lot these past few years and we've had a lot of good times but we also have had some bad times too but, after everything we've been through... our adventures across the dimensions one thing hasn't changed and that's the fact that we've been there for one another every step of the way!" as ash paused in-between his words the room fell to silence as his auburn eyes met Serena's electric blue eyes and it was only then ash continued his words to Serena; "Serena your support has meant the world to me and together we've made a pretty good life for ourselves and, Serena just like that day when we stood together to begin our new life together; i promise you i will do everything i can to continue to keep that beautiful smile on your face because i love seeing you happy; you're not just my wife Serena; you're my best friend, my partner and my soul mate i truly am the luckiest person in the world to have you by my side Serena!"

as Ash finished his words to Serena she notices not only ash's smile but also that his face has started to go red just like hers was proving that he meant every word and to Serena they were truly romantic and beautiful words so much so it brought not just the performer but the entire audience to tears as Serena took her turn to tell ash her renewed vows to him;  
"Alright ash, you're words to me just a second ago echo exactly how i feel. Ash you were always there by my side during both the good times and the bad. You always were able to put a smile on my face when i was sad and would always come to my rescue when i was in trouble. During our adventures we've learned a lot, we've reached new heights together and most of all we continued to grow closer. Looking back all those adventures have allowed us to build a great life together and i wouldn't change a single thing about it; you're more than just my husband ash; you are my best friend my partner and my hero ash Ketchum i love you more than anyone could ever know and i want to continue on with you until the day our journey in this world is over."

It was a proclamation ash could only respond with two words; "likewise Serena" as his face continued to turn a darker shade of red and tears of joy sliding down his face. as ash and Serena finished their words to one another their wasn't a single dry eye in the room as the minister takes a handkerchief and wiped his eye before proclaiming; "and with that this ceremony has concluded; ash and Serena Ketchum i once again declare you husband and wife." it was only then the domino coliseum broke out in applause as ash and Serena took part in their favorite part sealing their renewed vows with a small kiss.

The following morning:

As a new morning rose on domino ash groaned as the sun shined in on him as he slept until he finally rolled over and opened his eyes to Serena who was staring at him. After gazing at one another for a couple of minutes they shared a smile before telling each other good morning in unison. as the two trainers bedroom went quiet ash decided that since both he and Serena were doing better ash felt it was time to run something past Serena as he asked her; "Serena can i run something past you!?" ash's question threw Serena off as she answered ash with a confused tone; "sure ash what is it!?" hearing Serena's response ash asks Serena his question; "well you know how later today Kenny and Kate will publically give the control of the domino battle coliseum back to us well after talking to Kenny, kali and some of the others we figured what better way to celebrate than hosting a new tournament!"

Serena of course was listening to every one of ash's words she still didn't hear a question there so Serena decided to ask one herself; "a new tournament!?" after hearing his wife's response ash ironically realized that it wasn't him that asked the question but rather it was Serena as ash continued on; "that's right Serena everything has been setup but before we made any official announcement; i wanted to get your "blessing" and of course ask you to be my partner during this tournament just like the good ol days."

it was a proposal Serena was reluctant to sign off on and give her blessing the thing ash wanted before going through with this but, ash had one more trick up his sleeve as he scooted closer to Serena and wrapped his arm around her before whispering to her; "come on Serena after all there is no one else I'd want by my side during this than you we're an unstoppable team Serena!" predictably ash's trick worked because there was no way Serena could say no when he explained it that way as the honey blonde woman giggles and whispers back to ash; "okay I'd be happy to!" it was a response that excited ash as the raven haired trainer began hugging Serena tighter and whispering to her; "thank you so much Serena you're the best; i love you!" before the two trainers reluctantly let go of one another to get ready for the day.

Later that day inside the battle coliseum:

once again just like yesterday reporters began to swarm around the domino coliseum for the day press conference and of course it was domino city news that got to the air waves first as their reporter fills everyone in on what was going on; "we're coming to you live inside the domino coliseum where just the other day hosted a private ceremony for world champions ash and Serena Ketchum's vow renewal will today host a major press conference by the Ketchum family!"

Jan the reporter for domino city news couldn't get the words out fast enough because as she finished ash and Serena flanked by Kenny, Kate and, Katie stepped out in front of the cameras and began to speak with Kenny and Kate starting them off; "good morning everyone!" before Kate stepped back opening the floor to her brother; "now as you know while our parents were away me and my sister Katie temporarily took charge of the domino coliseum." followed by Katie; "but now that our parents are back we are officially returning control of the domino coliseum back to its rightful owners." before Kenny and Kate finished their statement in unison; "mom... dad..." and it was then ash and Serena stepped forward to Kenny and Kate allowing ash and Serena a moment to remind their kids that they did a great job and that they were proud of them.

before ash and Serena made their joint statement to the camera starting with ash; "yes it's true we're back and now that we're in charge again me and Serena would like to make a special announcement" as Serena picked up where ash left off; "that's right ash soon the domino coliseum will be hosting a new tournament1" as the young couple finished their statement in unison; "we're calling it clash in the coliseum 2.0, we've place a request to all of the regional professors to select their regions two best trainers and send them to domino to participate; all expenses paid of course!" before the young couple dropped the big bombshell of the announcement!

"we hope everyone that is selected takes the opportunity to participate as me and Serena will participate too, after all this is a great opportunity to compete for the title of world champion but, anyway we look forward to seeing what all of those that come are truly capable of so mark your calendars everyone clash in the coliseum 2.0 begins soon!" after ash and Serena finished their announcement ash, Serena, Kenny and Kate walk down the corridor together until all four of them disappear out of sight." as questions and requests flood the room domino city news reporter Jan turned back to the camera to address her viewers; "and you just heard it here everyone Ash and Serena will be hosting an exclusive tournament here in domino; and so the gauntlet is thrown once again can any of the selected trainers defeat world champions ash and Serena Ketchum and, their unstoppable dimensional god dragons!? I personally can't wait to see the action myself and find out!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

It has been one week since the announcement of Domino's Grand tournament and the registries have been rolling in except one which was particularly troubling Ash; causing him to groan in annoyance. It was an act that did not go unnoticed by Serena who was sitting across from her husband as she brushed her fairy partner Sylveon. Eventually Serena couldn't help but ask Ash just hat was troubling him?

It was a question that once asked got Ash to turn his attention to the honey blonde trainer as he finally answered her. "EHH... THE ORANGE ISLANDS DECLINED OUR INVITATION SERENA! It was news that the performer couldn't quite believe as Ash confided in Serena that he was disappointed because there were two trainers in particular that he wanted to battle with her. Seeing Ash like this bothered Serena she couldn't stand to see Ash worked up like this so the honey blonde performer decided to try and change her husband's focus as Serena assured Ash that he didn't have to worry because she was positive that there would still be plenty of strong trainers participating that they could end up going against. It was at that moment Ash realized Serena was right and it did help him relax a little a sight that was particularly reliving to Serena who suggested to Ash that they should go get some sleep. An idea Ash agreed with but he couldn't help but tell Serena that he may be a little too excited to sleep. words that caused both trainers to share a laugh with one another as they grabbed each other's hands and headed upstairs to their bedroom to get some sleep.

The following Morning:

Excitement filled the air in the normally quiet city of Domino Excitement for the world champions Ash and Serena's tournament. The city population had temporarily swelled and most of those visitors and just about every resident of Domino made their way to the Domino Coliseum to watch this tournaments opening. While inside the coliseum there was not an empty seat to be found as Ash and Serena took center stage in front of the cameras to perform their roles as the masters of ceremonies and with the entire Pokemon world watching them Ash and Serena opened their tournament;

"Good morning everyone; we welcome you all to the domino battle coliseum and domino's grand tournament now I'm sure it goes without saying that me and Serena will be representing our adopted home of domino in this tournament, but before we begin let's see just who will be representing each region in our tournament!" It was a plan that caused the entire crowd to become even more enthralled as Ash and Serena turned to their assistant Kali who began the process of introductions;

"Right; now sadly the orange islands have declined to participate but all the other regions have answered our call so first, from the Kanto region we have brock and misty two of the Kanto regions strongest gym leaders next, from Johto we have the dragon type master iris and pokemon researcher Gary oak then, from the Hoenn and Sinnoh region we have teams made up of two pairs of coordinators from Hoenn we have the team of May and drew and from Sinnoh the team of dawn and Kenny! excitement just continued to build so much so kali had to take a step back before continuing on; "next from Unova we have a pair of promising young trainers who have been said to be tactical geniuses in battle Hilda and Hilbert then, from Kalos we have the current Kalos region champion bonnie and her protégé' Seto and, finally from Alola we have the current Alola champion Lillie Aether and her brother Gladion Aether.

With everyone introduced the domino coliseum broke out into even louder applause as ash and Serena spoke one more time to wish all the participants the best of luck and for kali to launch the match board who will tell everyone just who would face whom. With the large match board selecting the first participants behind her Kali began to address the crowd once more; "now keep in mind the matches will be chosen at random and once the first selections are made the battle will begin immediately!

No sooner did kali finish her statement the Match Board displayed the first participants and it was none other than Ash and Serena's picture displayed and next to them was the picture of Hilda and Hilbert. As soon as those pictures became visible Ash and Serena were able to manage getting a look at their opponents as Kali addressed everyone once more; "alright and competing in the first battle of round one will be tournament hosts ash & Serena Ketchum vs. Hilda and Hilbert from Unova and with that the first battle of domino's grand tournament will now begin but, we invite the trainers not participating in the first battle to observe on the observation deck." an invitation every participant took them up on as they cleared the field allowing ash and Serena Hilda and Hilbert to take their positions on the battlefield.

The tension in the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife as Ash and Serena gazed across the field as they asked one another if they were ready to go. However; a looming question remained in Serena's mind and that was just what their opponents were capable of? It was a question that was running through Ash's mind as well but he wasn't too overly concerned confident that as long as Serena was by his side and together they were unstoppable. A mindset Serena was quick to enforce as Kali took her position and announced the rules;  
"Alright the first battle of domino's grand tournament will now begin each trainer gets one pokemon each however; the battle will not be over until both trainers on one team are unable to continue!" terms all trainers quickly agreed to as kali instructed them to bring out their pokemon; Ash decided to go with Charizard and Serena her Absol which she acquired in Hoenn. While Hilda placed her bets on her Samuraut and Hilbert his Lucario. With their Pokemon Selected there was only one thing left to do and that was battle but not before Hilda and Hilbert informed the world champion trainer couple that they had waited a long time to battle them and defeat them to which Ash and Serena responded with one phrase; "come at us!"

It was an offer Hilda and Hilbert were quick to take Ash and Serena up on as Hilda commanded her Samuraut to go after Charizard with Aqua jet. While Hilbert commanded Lucario to attack Absol with Aura Sphere; With Absol being within closer range to Lucario that was the battle everyone's attention focused on none more so than Serena who decided to put some of their performance training to use as she instructed Absol to dodge with a jump and spin. Instructions Absol carried out flawlessly allowing him to escape any damage but he wasn't the only one because Ash's Charizard had also taken to the air to dodge huge damage by Samuraut with his speed which was second to none. With both Charizard and Absol both airborne Ash and Serena decided to use one of their most famous tactics; "switch!" It was then within moment's Charizard and Absol switched positions allowing Absol to get right over Lucario and giving him the perfect vantage point to finish Lucario off it was a chance Serena didn't let go to waste as she commands Absol to use cut! Of course Hilbert ordered Lucario to dodge but as expected Serena's Absol's speed was second to none as it's cut makes its mark on Lucario's head allowing Serena's Absol to achieve a one hit knockout much to Hilbert's dismay.

As kali made the call; "and Lucario is unable to continue!" it was a victory both Serena and ash were quick to celebrate but ash knew this battle was not over as he reminded Charizard that it was; "their turn!" but Hilda wasn't just going to stand by and let that happen as she commanded Samuraut to charge in with Aqua jet while Ash instructed Charizard to charge in with Arial ace fully aware of their type disadvantage. As the two Pokemon charged towards one another and collided it caused smoke to build. Now of course Serena could've jumped in with Absol but she opted against it after all she trusted Ash more than anyone in the world and had the up most confidence in him. This battle would all come down to a battle of attrition the question now was would it be enough? An answer that wouldn't come until everyone watched Charizard fly straight up as the smoke cleared reveling Hilda's Samuraut laying on the field with swirls in his eyes signaling that it was over and that he was done. Hilda immediately called out to her Pokemon in concern at the scene.

It was all kali needed to "make the call"; "Samuraut is unable to continue and with both Hilda and Hilbert's pokemon unable to continue so tournament host's ash and Serena shall advance to round two!" it was truly depressing for Hilda and Hilbert to loose in the first round; they felt like they had let Unova down but after gazing over at Serena and Ash. Hilda and Hilbert realized how incredible this opportunity was and assured one anther that they gave it their all and that was what mattered as they marveled over the world champions. As Ash and Serena walked over to their defeated opponents and shook their hand as Kali asked the four trainers to clear the field. It was a request the four trainers complied with as Ash and Serena took it upon themselves to escort Hilda and Hilbert off the field and down one of the corridors as the other participating trainers looked on in admiration and awe.

After a few minutes kali then brought up the match board as she addressed the crowd; "and now we will select our next two teams of competitors, keep in mind when the next selections are chosen both teams must proceed right to the battlefield!" as the challenger board began the process of making the next matchup behind her. several tense moments passed but eventually the next selections appeared on the board and once they did kali announced the selections; "first up we have misty and brock from Kanto and they'll go up against Lillie and Gladion Aether from Alola!" and so with that decided; I'd like to ask our teams to enter the arena now please."

Meanwhile With Ash and Serena:

Ash and Serena continued to escort Hilda and Hilbert outside so they could have a brief discussion in piece. Once outside Hilda and Hilbert were surprised to be thanked by Ash and Serena for a fun battle. A gesture the two Unovans returned in kind as they asked Ash and Serena if they could return to battle them again one day. It was a question that brought a smile to the couple's faces as they assured them that they'd be looking forward to it! However that was a concern for another day for now there was still an entire tournament to go so Serena couldn't help but ask Hilda and Hilbert if they planned to stay to which Hilda and Hilbert assured them that they did indeed plan on staying as they turned away and walked back inside leaving Ash and Serena alone. With Hilda and Hilbert gone Ash and Serena took their moment to congratulate one another before returning inside.

Once inside the young couple made their way up to the observation deck where they found themselves being congratulated by all their friends bar for and they were of course Brock and Misty Lillie and Gladion which means just one thing they were battling next and sure enough the couple gazed down at the match below just now getting underway. Lillie had called out her Alolan Ninetails while Gladion chose to use his Lycanroc to go up against Misty's Gyarados and Brock's Steelix. The four battling trainers wasted no time in getting the battle underway. Lillie and Gladion took the initiative as Lillie commanded her partners Snowy to use powder snow while Gladion commanded Lycanroc to use stone edge. Misty and Brock expected as much so they commanded their Pokemon to dodge but alas due to Gyarados and Steelix's size and the speed of Lillie's nine tails and Gladion's Lycanroc proved to not be a good combination for the Kanto gym leaders as their Pokemon wound up taking the attacks broadside. It was an observation shared by Ash and Serena as they watched on from their seats in the stadium but Serena couldn't help but turn to her husband and ask Ash just who he thought would win!? As things stood now it was too tough of a call for Ash to make but it was then and there Brock and Misty decided to kick this battle up to a new level as the two gym leaders called for their Pokemon to mega evolve.

Hoping that Mega Evolution would turn the tide in their favor but unbeknownst to them Lillie shared her past experiences with them and planned accordingly. Gladion's excitement was adamant when he muttered; "Mega evolution huh; perfect!" through he pierce lips before turning to his sister and shared a nod to acknowledge it was time to execute their strategy. As the Alolan siblings did this Misty and Brock went all in with their strategy to use the raw power of Mega Evolution as Brock commanded his Steelix to use hyper beam on Lillie's ninetails and Misty commanded Gyarados to go after Lycanroc with water gun. As these attacks were preparing to launch Lillie and Gladion decided they had to work fast and quickly got into position to execute their Z-moves Lillie and Ninetails with; "Sub-Zero smasher" and Gladion and Lycanroc with Contenital Crush just in time for the moves to collide with power enough to rock the entire stadium and when the smoke cleared it was apparent to everyone that this time (Z-Moves) got the last laugh as Gyarados and Steelix reverted back to normal and feel to the floor with a loud bang much to their trainers dismay. As the battle was called the four trainers cleared the field as instructed but at the same time Ash and Serena got up from their seats to go talk with Misty and Brock.

Once outside of the arena it didn't take Ash and Serena long to track down Misty and Brock who were apparently getting ready to depart an assumption Misty and Brock confirmed when Serena questioned them about it. Full of regret Misty and Brock told Ash and Serena that although they'd love to stay they had commitments back home that required their attention. A sentiment Ash and Serena completely understood after all between their careers and family they have had to do things like this before although they really hated to and tried their best to attend everything sometimes life happens they guessed. However before taking their leaves Misty and Brock did have a brief exchange with their friends even expressing to Ash how proud they were of him and assuring Ash and Serena they'd be watching on television and rooting for them before finally turning their backs and walking away. It felt like a brief discussion to the young couple but they soon learned once they got back inside they were in fact gone longer than they thought because once inside they heard Kali calling for the final match of the tournament to begin; May and Drew going against Bonnie and Seto.

Learning that he missed the previous battle disappointed Ash as Lillie and Gladion filled the couple in on how Kenny and Dawn stomped Iris and Gary. Which just disappointed Ash more but what was done has been done so all he could do now is watch the battle going on in front of him and he was curious to see just what Bonnie had up her sleeve.

The battle began at a feverish pace as May and Drew called their Pokemon first; May who called out her choice with her famous catch phrase; "Blaziken on stage!" while Drew placed his bets on his his Roserade. The coordinators from Hoenn however realized they'd have their work cut out for them as Bonnie brought forth her Tyrantrum and Seto his Florges. Tyrantrum really knocked the coordinators off guard as they wondered just how they were supposed to deal with the dinosaur in front of them but they weren't about to back down as Kali called for the battle to begin. While up in the stands Ash and Serena looked on Serena wondering if it was Possible Bonnie was holding back. A sediment Ash didn't agree with and was frankly astonished by that is until Serena explained her thoughts; "Well Bonnie isn't using squishy!" It was then Ash realized why Serena was thinking the way she was but Ash was also quick to remind Serena that they didn't use the Dimensional Dragons in their first battle and they didn't hold back and that he was sure Bonnie had something planned" As their attention went back to the field and the Battle.

Bonnie was first to issue their commands as she ordered Tyrantrum to go after Roserade with Fire fang to which Drew quickly commanded Roserade to dodge which it did gracefully and with such speed. It cause Bonnie to realize she was running into the same problem Misty and Brock ran into with Lillie and Gladion and she was determined to not let this battle have the same result. So when she saw May going after Florges with flamethrower she commanded Tyrantrum to use its tail to block the attack and protect Florges much to Seto's relief but Bonnie wasn't done after protecting Florges she commanded Tyrantrum to swing his tail as hard as he could to sweep the field. Which Tyrantrum did with such speed Roserade was unable to get out of the way and was sent flying into Blaziken which sent both Pokemon across the field and into the wall much to the amazement of everyone. Several tense moments passed as the smoke cleared reveling Roserade would be unable to continue much to Drew's dismay and Bonnie and Seto's excitement. May of course was worried about Roserade but didn't hesitate in reminding Bonnie and Seto that Blaziken was still standing and as long as he was they were still in this and they could still win this! As she commanded Blaziken to go after Florges once again with Fire blast but Seto was quick to teach the Hoenn native that he was not a push over either as he commanded Florges to defend with solar beam. Which just as planned materialized and cancelled each other's attacks out much to the amazement of the audience but as smoke built from the attacks Ash and Serena's attention was focused to Bonnie and they could tell by the grin on her face she had something up her sleeve but just what that something was; was anyone's guess. Eventually the smoke settled just enough to reveal a sight that no one could quite believe as it appeared Tyrantrum had pulled a Houdini but something that size just couldn't disappear which is something May and Drew realized I'll be it too late; because high above their heads was Tyrantrum who had apparently used the smoke cover to jump up without being seen and with him in a prime Location Bonnie made the attack declaration that she was sure would win the match; "TYRANTRUM USE FIRE FANG..." May still in disbelief at what she was seeing tried to have Blaziken get out of there but he apparently had developed a bit of target fixation as he watched Tyrantrum close in and blast him knocking him out instantly just as Bonnie predicted. That was it the final battle of the first round one was over as Kali made the call; "Blaziken is unable to continue; both drew and may's pokemon have been defeated which means bonnie and Seto from Kalos will advance to round two!" it was a declaration that caused the stadium to erupt in excitement and as Bonnie and Seto celebrated on one side of the field May and Drew were not so enthralled.  
After a few seconds Kali's voice rose above the noise thanks to the p.a.; "with that round one of domino's grand tournament is over and, the four teams moving on to round two will be Sinnoh's dawn and Kenny, Alola's Lillie and Gladion Aether, Bonnie and Seto of Kalos and, of course our tournament host's and wielders of the dimensional gods; Domino's Ash & Serena Ketchum!" "Round two will begin tomorrow so make sure you rest up competitors and to our audience we'll see you tomorrow morning!"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:  
The excitement was still evident from the crowd as they got up from their seats and left anxious to see the action kicking off round two tomorrow morning. Eventually the crowds were all but gone as Ash and Serena finally made their way home and to their favorite place in the world the back balcony of their home overlooking the small lake which always shimmered with the reflection of the city lights from Domino on the surface. it truly was a tranquil scene so soothing and relaxing it was no wonder why this became Ash and Serena's favorite place to go just to be together and talk it's almost like a daily ritual for them. As the two got on the balcony and gazed on at the scene they both loved Ash decided to share something with Serena that he had been thinking about and quiet honestly was feeling about for a while; "Hey Serena!?"

Hearing her name caused the honey blonde performer to take her gaze off of the scene in front of them and focus souly on the love of her life the raven haired trainer standing beside her as she finally answered him; "Yes Ash!?" It took Ash a few seconds for Ash to answer her but the raven haired trainer finally said what was on his mind; "I've been thinking with all of that stuff that happened to us; we never got that vacation we promised one another!" Serena knew what Ash had said was true but she didn't really think it was a big deal and was okay a feeling she quickly relayed to Ash. However Ash didn't see it that way; "No it's not Serena a promise is a promise so as soon as this tournament is over; we'll finally take our vacation and we'll go anywhere you want!"

It was a statement that brought a smile to her face she loved the idea and she told Ash as such However. That wasn't the only thing running through her mind though and Serena realized that for once their roles had been switched throughout their marriage Serena was the one looking ahead while Ash tended to focus on the near term. However tonight it was Serena who reminded Ash that they still had the tournament to focus on and right now it would be best for them to get some sleep. It was a suggestion that brought a smile to both their faces as they took each other's hands and walked inside with their fingers intertwined.

The Following Morning:

Once again excitement and anticipation filled the air in Domino and echoed twice as loud inside Domino's coliseum where the crowd cheered on the competitors who have made it to round two and before too long Kali took the stage once again to get the tournament underway; "Good morning everyone and welcome to round two of the Domino Grand Tournament!" "Today's battles will be 3 pokemon per trainer for a team total of six pokemon and just like round one the battle isn't over until all the pokemon for one side are unable to continue!" "So without further ado let's see which teams will be battling first..."

Words that caused the crowd to go into an uproar as the challenge board appeared on the monitor behind Kali and began the selection process. After a few tense moments the pictures of the next competitors appeared and to the audience it was an awesome matchup the first battle of round two would be none other than Ash and Serena going up against Bonnie and Seto. Who shared a quick glance with one another and wasted no time in getting the battle underway as they called out their first Pokemon. Bonnie's was her Tyrantrum that stomped May and Drew just yesterday while Seto called out his Gallade. While Ash's choice was an obvious one as he called on Pikachu while Serena decided to mix things up with a surprise of her own her newest Pokemon from Alola Torracat. Seeing Torracat truly was a surprise but it confused Gladion; who whispered; "when did Serena get that..." and it was then his sister who was sitting beside him finally spoke up; "I may or may not have helped her." It was a statement that forced Gladion to turn to Lillie he didn't say anything he just stared at her until Lillie spoke up again; "What my full time job is as a professor what'd you expect!?"

Meanwhile On the Battlefield:

The battle began almost immediately and It was Serena who made the first move as she instructed her Torracat to attack Gallade with Fire fang but as Torracat charged towards Gallade Bonnie instructed to get between them as he dropped his tale between them but little did Bonnie know that Ash and Serena planned for this as Serena quickly turns to Ash and signals him. Before Bonnie could process what was going on Ash called out to Pikachu to use Iron Tale on Tyrantrum. It was only then Bonnie realized Pikachu was missing and was in fact flying in towards Tyrant rum's head with an Iron Tale but if that wasn't astonishing enough for Bonnie what Serena did next defintly was as she commanded Torracat to withdrawal and head towards Tyrantrum's head by running up his tale with a flame charge. Eventually after several seconds Torracat and Pikachu's attacks end up hitting Tyrantrum's heads in unison dealing big damage to Tyrantrum! Much to Bonnie's dismay it was a scene that angered Seto as he sent Gallade in against Pikachu but with Tyrantrum disoriented Ash and Serena are able to focus exclusively on Gallade and have Torracat and Pikachu team up to take him down and once Torracat went down Tyrantrum's injuries proved too great as well and drops to his knee before going hard to the floor.

Much to Bonnie and Seto's distress as Kali makes the call; "and Tyrantrum and Gallade are no longer able to battle Pikachu and Torracat are the victors!" Much to Ash and Serena's excitement as Ash and Serena celebrated Bonnie and Seto were in awe of their opponents power and strength and quickly decided that now was the time to call upon their aces a decision that brought Ash and Serena's celebration to an end and causes them to tense up as Bonnie turned to the Green blob sticking his head out of her purse and asks him; "Squishy if you'd please!?" At Bonnie's instruction Squishy jumped from the bag and crawled to the front calling upon enough cells to transform into his ten percent form. While Seto pulled out a Pokeball and threw it revealing A Darkrai. This was a sight that finally brought unease to Ash and Serena's faces as Bonnie commanded Squishy to use dragon pulse on Pikachu while Seto commanded Darkrai to attack Torracat with night slash and before Pikachu and Torracat had an opportunity to escape the attacks blasted them sending Torracat and Pikachu flying back to their trainers on their backs. Much to Ash and Serena's dismay as Kali made the call; "And both Pikachu and Torracat are unable to battle; so the winners are Darkrai and Zygarde!" As Bonnie and Seto began to celebrate Serena turned to Ash and asked him what they were going to do now!?" a question Ash answered with a look of confidence as he tells his wife; "They kicked up a notch so now we will too!" Serena had a feeling she knew where Ash was going with this but for confirmation Serena asks him; "do you mean!?" A question Ash answered with a nod before muttering out; "Let's show them the power of Fire-Force!" A revelation Serena responded to with a nod as Ash turned to Bonnie to congratulate them as Serena tells their friend and former traveling companion that it was; "their turn to kick this up a notch!" Sending a shiver down Bonnie and Seto's spine as Serena called out Braixen before Attentions focused on Ash as the skies darkened over the arena; "and now it's my turn to call on an old friend; come down the Dimensional God Of The Skies; Osiris!" At Ash's command Lightning starts filling the sky as Osiris' blue body begins coming down through the cloud cover until finally the dimensional god of the skies true form was revealed striking fear into Bonnie and Seto. As Serena calls for Braixen and Osiris to "combine their fire power!" As soon as the command was given Braixen jumped onto Osiris tail and ran up his back to his head and took position on Osiris head dead center above the eyes. This caused the stadium to gaze on in awe after all

This is the first time in a long time Ash and Serena have used this combo-attack while Bonnie and Seto tried to encourage their Pokemon and instructed them not to get discouraged. The time has finally come as Ash and Serena instructed Braixen and Osiris to attack Zygarde and Darkrai with Fire-Force Strike; and at ash and Serena's command Osiris and Braixen use fire force strike on Zygarde and Darkrai causing smoke to build and the ground to quake as it does so. It was a scene that struck fear and dismay into Bonnie and Seto as they call out to their Pokemon in worry but at the same time marveling in awe of "God's Power!"

After several tense moments the smoke cleared and revealed Seto's Darkrai had been defeated but Squishy was still defiantly standing but barely. As Kali made the call; "and Seto's Darkrai is unable to battle; Seto has only one pokemon remaining!" It was a discouraging sight for Seto however Bonnie began to reassure her Protégé' that it was "okay after all they were up against a god after all." As Seto brought out his final Pokemon Florges! As the battle resumed Serena decided to divide and conquer before Ash knew it Serena began speaking to him; "Ash me and Braixen will handle Florges, you and Osiris handle Squishy!" It was a plan Ash quickly agreed to as Serena ordered Braixen to attack Florges with fire blast and at her Trainers orders Braixen jumps from her position on Osiris head in the skies above and launces a fire blast using the speed from her descent to increase its potency. Seto knew he had to work fast as he instructed Florges to use double team to confuse Braixen but Ash decided to use Osiris' thunder force to wipe the field clean and give Braixen a "clean shot!" all but Guaranteeing Florges defat which was confirmed as the smoke cleared and Kali's voice echoed out; "And Florges is unable to battle all of Seto's pokemon have been beaten however, Bonnie still has two pokemon left so this battle will now be Ash & Serena vs. Bonnie so Bonnie if you'd please bring out your last pokemon so this will remain a 2v2 please..."

It was a request Bonnie immediately obliged with as she brought out her last Pokemon Noivern and in the spirit of Ash and Serena Bonnie looked to Squishy and instructed him to go to; "Fifty percent!" and within Seconds the infamous squeal of Zygarde rings out as more cells quickly arrive and boost Squishy to his 50% form in a bright green flash. It was a sight that forced Ash and Serena to step back in wonder after all now Zygarde is at 50% and they had no idea if the damage Squishy took earlier was even a factor anymore!? It was a question Ash and Serena was going to have to have answered the hard way as Serena ordered Braixen to go back and combine with Osiris again! As Braixen began to run up Osiris back Bonnie knew she had to stop her if she didn't she'd loose simple as that so Bonnie quickly sent in Noivern to stop Braixen with "Boom burst!" Noivern tries his best to stop Braixen from making it to Osiris' head by attacking her with Boom Burst but Noivern ends up missing Braixen! Much to Bonnie's dismay and with everything in Place Ash and Serena call out to Osiris and Braixen to use Fire Force Strike on Zygarde and Noivern at full strength causing the stadium to shake and smoke to build as Bonnie called out to her Pokemon in disbelief and concern.

As the stadium goes into stunned silence the smoke begins to clear reveling the results of the battle and much to Bonnies dismay she saw both Noivern and Squishy who had returned back to his original form lying on the ground Bonnie didn't even wait as she ran to her Pokemon quickly recalling Noivern and picking Squishy up in her arms and raising him above her head and into the sunlight above allowing Squishy to begin recovering. While Bonnie was doing this Seto ran to his teacher's side as Kali made the official call; "And it's over Osiris and Braixen win and, that means Ash & Serena will move on to the finals!" It was news that caused Ash and Serena to celebrate and share a hug before walking over to Bonnie to check on their friends and thank them for a great battle. Several minutes passed before they found themselves interrupted by Kali; "May I have your attention please; the second round of Domino's Grand Tournament Semi Finals is about to begin, Dawn & Kenny from Sinnoh will now battle Lillie and Gladion Aether From Alola the winner will advance to face Ash and Serena Ketchum in the finals."  
Once the field had been cleared Lillie and her brother Gladion along with Dawn and Kenny took their positions as Kali began the match; " This battle will have the same rules as the first battle; 3 pokemon per trainer for a team total of six pokemon and just like round one the battle isn't over until all the pokemon for one side are unable to continue!" They were terms the trainers agreed to as they called out their first Pokemon. Lillie brought out her Gardevoir while her brother Gladion brought out his Lycanroc. While Dawn brought out her Quilava and Kenny went with his Alakzam. Dawn decided to have Quilava attack fist by launching a flamethrower at Lycanroc who quickly countered with Stone edge but Kenny wasn't about to let that happen as he ordered his Alakzam to use Psychic on Lycanroc to stop him but Lillie figured two could play at that game as she ordered her Gardevoir to counter Alakzam with Psychic to protect her brothers Lycanroc all these attacks resorted in smoke to build. Eventually the smoke cleared and revealed Dawn's Quilava somehow was attacked and defeated but s Dawn and Kenny focused on that they failed to notice Lycanroc had gone missing and before they knew it Lycanroc was right behind Alakzam and used it's stone edge at point blank range sending Alakzam flying and knocking him out as well. Much to Dawn and Kenny's belief as Kali made the call; "Quilava and Alakzam Is Unable To Battle As Well So The Winners Are Gardevoir & Lycanroc!"

As the battle unfolded Ash and Serena were paying very close attention in awe of the stealth strategy that Gladion and Lillie came up with as they began to wonder if they were going to see the one thing they were hoping to during this fight. Back on the battlefield Dawn and Kenny made their next selections Dawn brought out her Mamoswine and Kenny called out his Breloom. Dawn quickly ordered Mamoswine to charge in while Kenny had Breloom give them cover with leaf storm which was a surprise to Lilie as Leaf storm isn't an attack Breloom could normally learn but now wasn't the time to marvel about that because Mamoswine had just charged into Lycanroc sending him flying but before Lillie could have Gardevoir do something to stop it Lycanroc went flying into Gardevoir as they both were sent flying into the wall forcing an instant knock out. It was a sight that forced Kali to call the match;  
"And Lycanroc and Gardevoir are now both unable to battle so the winners are; Mamoswine and Breloom!" Much to Lillie and Gladion's dismay and Dawn and Kenny's excitement so much so Kenny called out to their opponents and asked a question both him and Dawn were sure to regret; "So what's next!?"

A question Lillie answered with a Pokeball in her hand and proclaimed; "this little one" as she threw it releasing Solgaleo the Alolan Sun Legendary while Gladion released his own Chimera Pokemon Sacred Beast Silvuddy!" It was a scene that caused Dawn to turn to Kenny somewhat annoyed and asked him; "You just had to ask didn't you Kenny!?" Dawn then turned to face their opponents both knew they were in trouble after all they were now facing down the Alolan Sun Legendary along with The Chimera Ash and Serena helped supercharge! They knew that if Gladion and Silvuddy used the Divine Memory Ash had Dragonus forge they would have no hope of winning." So the two Sinnoh Coordinators decided they needed to defeat Silvuddy before they had a chance to use it. Dawn went first sending Mamoswine in against Solgaleo in hopes of using its size and raw power to defeat the sun legendary a plan that was squashed when Lillie and Solgaleo used Sunshine smasher to stop Mamoswine Dead in his tracks. A sight that brought a smile to Gladion's face as he addressed Silvuddy; " We can't let Lillie and Solgaleo have all the fun silvuddy can we!?" as Gladion reached into his pocket to retrieve a memory and exclaimed; "So take this sacred beast Silvuddy receive the fire memory and blaze up as a fire beast!" Gladion then tossed the Fire Memory into the Drive System changing Silvuddy into a fire type!?" Seeing Fire type Silvuddy panicked Kenny as Gladion ordered Silvuddy To attack Breloom with multi attack and before Kenny manages to call an attack silvuddy attacks Breloom causing even more smoke to build!" Much to the excitement of the crowd and interest of Ash and Serena. As Dawn and Kenny called out to their Pokemon in concern; eventually the Smoke cleared and revealed Breloom and Mamoswine had been defeated! After Kali made the call Dawn and Kenny recalled their Pokemon and brought out their final picks Kenny putting everything on his trusty Empolion while Dawn placed her hopes in Piplup as Kali called for the battle to resume!

As the battle commenced Dawn and Kenny decided to use their water types to go after Silvuddy an obvious strategy and Lillie began to grow concerned as she told herself; "Oh no Gladion still has the fire memory inserted; if those attacks hit silvuddy he'll be at a major disadvantage!" So without giving it a thought Lillie ordered Solgaleo to defend and when the Sun legendary jumped in and took the attacks Dawn and Kenny decided to change their tactics those attacks seemed to have damaged Solgaleo greatly so the Sinnoh coordinators decided to just continue to go after Solgaleo with countless attacks which Solgaleo took but it was a sight that infuriated Gladion; he had; had enough and decided to finally state what was on his mind; " You disgust me going after Solgaleo my sisters precious partner; time after time when we're right here, we're going to repay the debt to you Lillie... Solgaleo...!" After finishing his statement he reached into his pocket and pulled out another memory this one gold colored! This sight struck fear into Dawn and Kenny as they wondered if that indeed was what they thought it was while Ash and Serena rise out of their seats in interest wanting to get a closer look at what was going to happen! Gladion then declared; "Sacred Beast Silvuddy Take The Divine Memory And Rise To The Rank Of A Deity And Unleash God's Wrath On Those That Dare Oppose You!" Gladion then tosses the Divine Memory into Silvuddy's Drive System Causing Silvuddy to take on Its New Type! This caused Silvuddy to take on a radiant glow! The sight was simply horrifying Kenny and Dawn as Gladion declared; "This is the end Silvuddy Multi Attack!" it was then at Gladion's command silvuddy unleashes his attack on Empolion and Piplup causing the stadium to shake and smoke to build at the divine memories power!" The crowd found themselves being forced back into their seats as they all marveled in awe at the power that was released including Ash and Serena! Then finally after several minutes the smoke begins to clear out revealing the extent of Silvuddy's attack! Piplup and Empolion were lying face down in craters created by the blast with swirls in their eyes signaling their defeat and the results of the Semifinals as kali made the final official call of the Semifinals; "Piplup and Empolion are unable to battle; all of dawn and Kenny's pokemon have been defeated which means Lillie and Gladion Aether from Alola are the victors and, will be moving on to face tournament hosts Ash and Serena in tomorrow's final battle!"

After the call was made the crowd erupted in excitement as Lillie and Gladion celebrated and Dawn and Kenny went and retrieved their Pokemon still in disbelief over what had just happened. While up in the stands Ash and Serena seemed pleased that Silvuddy and Gladion had managed to successfully use and master the Divine Memory! Which would definitely make tomorrows battle harder but also more interesting and fun!


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:  
The sun had finally begun to rise over domino this was it the day of the finals of domino's grand tournament but; before that ash and Serena were enjoying a quiet breakfast at home. The young couple asked each other if they were ready for today but avoided talking about the tournament any further than that. rather ash and Serena spent their conversation talking about the vacation they were finally going to take as soon as this was over where they wanted to go and, what they wanted to do, in fact ash and Serena were so distracted by this they didn't even notice the time until Serena looked up at the clock and decided they had better leave now or they would be late.

Later that morning at domino coliseum:

The atmosphere inside the coliseum was filled with anticipation and excitement as kali took center stage and opened the finals; " this is it everyone today marks the finals for dominos grand tournament!" "Our finalists are tournament hosts and world champion's ash & Serena and, Alola's Lillie and Gladion Aether!" "And here they come now!" at Kali's introduction ash and Serena along with Lillie and Gladion enter the arena and take their places! After a few seconds and with everyone in their places kali announced the rules;  
"today's battle will be a match with each trainer getting use of four pokemon each however; just like in past rounds the battle isn't over until all pokemon from one team are unable to continue!" they were rules the trainers all acknowledged with a nod of the head as they all called out their first pokemon; Gladion went first bringing out his Lycanroc followed by Serena who called out her Sylveon then Lillie with her Gardevoir and then ash who called on his Lycanroc! With their selections made the trainers wasted no time in getting started Gladion ordered his Gladion to go after Sylveon with rock throw while ash in turn ordered his Lycanroc to go after Gardevoir with rock throw! While the girls countered with Serena instructing Sylveon to jump and use swift while Lillie took a less direct approach ordering Gardevoir to dodge only as the barrage of attacks came in contact with one another causing smoke to build.

The crowd was at the edge of their seat as they watched on in silent anticipation but finally after a few tense moments the smoke began to clear revealing ash's Lycanroc and Lillie's Gardevoir had been defeated and would not be able to continue and observation kali was quick to confirm as ash and Lillie recalled their pokemon and sent out their next picks; Lillie brought out the pokemon that had been her friend since she was a little girl and her mother decided to gift her Clefable while ash called out Pikachu. With these selections made the battle quickly resumed with Lillie commanding Clefable to go after Pikachu with moon blast while, Gladion had Lycanroc go after Sylveon with stone edge. as these attacks came closer to their pokemon ash and Serena turned to one another and exchanged a nod as they commanded their pokemon to "switch" a tactic they had used before in this tournament and now with their new targets acquired Serena has Sylveon attack Clefable with fairy wind while ash had Pikachu attack Lycanroc with iron tale and once again the barrage of attacks collide causing smoke to build again!  
With smoke covering the field the trainers called out to their pokemon but received no response so all they could do now was watch and wait. Eventually the smoke did clear out revealing something astonishing in front of them was a three way knockout between; Sylveon, Clefable and Sylveon. It was truly an astonishing and unbelievable sight; even kali was in shock as she made the call; "and it's a three way knock out gladion's Lycanroc... Lillie's Clefable... and Serena's Sylveon are unable to continue!" it was an announcement that stunned the competitors and the audience as Serena, Lillie and, Gladion recalled their pokemon and thanked them before making their next selections; Serena brought out Braixen. While Lillie brought out Solgaleo and Gladion brought out his Umbreon as kali called for the battle to resume. once again the battle began at a feverish pace as ash commanded Pikachu to use quick attack on Umbreon but Lillie had a plan to stop him so she decided to have snowy use powder snow on the field. Seeing what Lillie is trying to do using powder snow to slow Pikachu down and make him slip and fall Serena gets an idea. As she exclaimed to Lillie; "clever Lillie but not clever enough..."

as Serena instructs Braixen to use flamethrower to melt the field that snowy had frozen but Gladion wasn't about to let that happen as he commands Umbreon to use dark pulse on Braixen and before Serena and Braixen knew it gladion's umbreon's dark pulse is able to connect an unimpeded attack right at Braixen stopping her and as a secondary result Pikachu slips and spins out on the ice like a hockey puck. A sight that was making ash and Serena sick to their stomachs as ash ordered Pikachu to use thunderbolt and as Pikachu continues sliding across the field he manages to launch a thunderbolt towards snowy and Umbreon but due to him sliding out of control misses his target much to ash and Serena's dismay. So Serena seeing Pikachu missing his objective Serena commands Braixen to use flamethrower on Umbreon and snowy but as Braixen launches its attack Lillie instructs snowy to protect itself with aura veil. while Gladion assured himself they weren't going down without a fight and ordered Umbreon to attack with dark pulse as Serena instructs Braixen to dodge but as Braixen tries to dodge ash and Serena's attention turns to Pikachu just in time to watch him slid right into the wall." to much concern from both ash and Serena but Serena took her eyes off the battle a big mistake and when her focus returned Serena saw a dark pulse coming right for Braixen to which she tried to counter with a flame thrower thanks to Serena's quick thinking Braixen actually manages to launce one more attack before getting hit by Umbreon's attack causing smoke to build.

the trainers once again called out to their pokemon through the smoke but just like last time received no response and once again after a few tense moments the smoke from the battle begins clearing revealing the battle outcome to everyone; the results were yet another three way knockout between Pikachu, Braixen and, Umbreon. It was a sight no one could believe that was the second three way knockout of the match but even with a strong sense of disbelief ash went out and retrieved Pikachu while Serena and Gladion recalled Braixen and Umbreon. Once ash was back at Serena's side he set Pikachu on the ground between them laying the electric mouse on his side so he can watch the rest of the battle. After which Ash brought out Greninja and quickly became one with him so they could activate ash Greninja. While Serena brought out Pancham; Gladion's next choice was a real suprise to everyone even Lillie it was a riolu. The battle quickly resumed with Serena ordering Pancham to go after snowy with stone edge but as the attack closed in Gladion stepped in to protect his sister and commanded Riolu to use aura force and much to the amazement of everyone Gladion uses his Riolu's newest move to shield snowy from Pancham's stone edge! Still in shock ash and Serena decided to finish this; ash commanded Greninja to use water shurikens while Serena had Pancham use dark pulse. Seeing this Lillie, Gladion and their pokemon braced for impact as Pancham and Greninja's attacks enhanced by ash-Greninja's battle bond ability charge towards Riolu and snowy at unbelievable speed. Gladion and Lillie tried to get their pokemon out of there but before Lillie's words have a chance to register with snowy and Riolu it proves too late and thanks to Pancham and Greninja's attacks speed is able to land a direct hit on Riolu and snowy causing smoke to build.

Which once cleared out revealed snowy and Riolu had been defeated. this was it for Lillie and Gladion they fought hard and now only had one pokemon each left to fight with this was it as the siblings decided to "go for broke" Lillie was first to unveil her last pokemon and it was none other than the Alolan sun legendary Solgaleo while Gladion's final choice was an obvious one; gladion's last pokemon was none other than the sacred beast silvuddy. Seeing silvuddy and Solgaleo was not a surprise to Ash and Serena who expected this but they still had to advise Greninja and Pancham to be careful. a request their pokemon responded to in kind they all knew that silvuddy and Solgaleo are powerful and if they're going to pull this off they need to make the first move. so ash along with Greninja decided to attack with water shurikens but Lillie wasn't about to let that happen as she asks the Alolan sun legendary to give them a taste of his legendary power. A request Solgaleo responded to in kind as he charges after Greninja causing smoke to build and ash to scream out in pain. As Solgaleo took care of ash Greninja Gladion and silvuddy went after Pancham with a multi attack. Serena attempted to have Pancham use stone edge to protect himself but alias it turns out to not be enough to stop them all and with Pancham in real danger Serena heard ash call out; "defend!" before watching Greninja get between silvuddy and Pancham to lessen the blow. However before the honey blonde haired performer is able to process what has happened she hears ash screaming in pain beside her forcing her attention to shift. As Serena's focus turned to ash kali made the call that Greninja and Pancham had been defeated and that Solgaleo and silvuddy were the winners. Serena didn't care about that though she cared about ash who had dropped to his knee and out of fear for his safety Serena wraps her arm around ash and helps him up allowing ash to lean on her for support as she asked if he was okay to which the performer only got a "muttered" reply; "ser... sere... Serena..."

Serena was at a loss for worse she didn't know what to say or how to react as she whispered ash's name. As everyone looked on at the world champions all concerned about ash. Eventually ash started to mutter more to Serena as she held him; "don't... worry... I'm... I'm... fine... Serena..." "This is just... the curse... of... me and Greninja's... battle bond..."

all Serena could do was ask one question; "why!?" to which ash answered in his pain filled mutter; "i promised you Serena... promised that I'd protect you and make you happy... that's why we protected Pancham for you; he's precious to you..." Serena was at a loss she didn't know whether to be happy, sad or angry as she responded to ash's words; "but so are you ash... you're precious to me too ash..." they were words that brought a smile to ash's face as he answered Serena; "i know Serena... i feel the same way... i love you Serena..." they were words from the bottom of ash's heart and they managed to make Serena finally relax and smile again as she whispered back; "ash... i love you too..." a couple more minutes passed and after hearing ash's words ash and Serena share a quick hug before Serena helps ash stand back up so they could finish this. Kali finally called out to her employers to ask if they'd please bring out their final pokemon. It was a question that was answered not with words but the sky as it darkened above them which were a clear sign to Lillie and Gladion just what was coming next. Then before the Alolan siblings knew it their opponents were calling out to them; "Lillie... Gladion... we're honored you've called on such strong opponents!" "And we intended to return the favor in kind..." they were words that caused both Lillie and Gladion to tense up as Serena made her selection first.

Serena raised her arm to the sky and exclaimed; "first is the legendary dimensional guardian of the sun... loyal servant and protector of the queen of the dimensional plain; Phoenix Dragon descend..." at Serena's words unnoticed by everyone the silhouette of Elizabeth her different dimensional counterpart stood beside her as the clouds lit up and Phoenix Dragon came down through the cloud cover and hovered over the field.

Ash was next as he lifted his arm to the sky and exclaimed; "and now for a new face to this world... next is the legendary supreme guardian dragon and trusted partner of the king of the dimensional plain!" "Come down supreme king of the divine dragons; Dragonus!" now much like Serena; at ash's words unnoticed by everyone the silhouette of Saito his different dimensional counterpart stood beside him as the clouds were lit up by red lightning as Dragonus came down through the cloud cover and hovered over the field. the audience was stunned by the sight of Dragonus as he let out a roar after all ash's words were true very few humans have ever seen Dragonus the number could be counted on less than two hands and Lillie and Gladion were two of them they witnessed the power of Dragonus first hand but this time it wasn't power to help them it was power being used against them they had to do something quick and they knew it!

the battle quickly resumed as Lillie turned to Solgaleo and said to him; "alright Solgaleo you and Phoenix dragon are both sun guardians so; charge in and give Phoenix dragon a taste of your power!" it was a confusing move to Serena but without hesitation and at Lillie's orders Solgaleo charges right through Phoenix dragon's attack and straight for Phoenix dragon. As Serena stood their stunned by what Lillie had done Gladion encouraged his sister to "keep up the pressure!" however before silvuddy could do anything ash instructs Dragonus to use imperial dragon rage! Causing red lightning to strike down both silvuddy and Solgaleo and results in a lot of smoke to build. however once the smoke from Dragonus' attack begins to clear revealing silvuddy and Solgaleo are still standing astonishing both ash and Serena as well as Phoneix dragon and Dragonus who actually was impressed by the sight! seeing their pokemon survived a direct attack by Dragonus instilled a lot of confidence in Lillie and Gladion who by all impressions figured their Pokémon's strength was about equal but, Gladion knew he could tip the balance of power as he pulled out the divine memory much to the intrigue of Dragonus and the others. Gladion then calls out to his partner; "sacred beast silvuddy... take the divine memory and rise to the rank of a deity to unleash god's wrath on those that oppose you..." Gladion then tosses the divine memory into silvuddy drive system causing silvuddy to take on its new type divine silvuddy.

A pleasing sight to Dragonus but ash and Serena on the other hand wanted to urge caution as Gladion ordered silvuddy to go after both silvuddy and Dragonus with "multi-attack" causing smoke to build and ash and Serena calling out to their dragons. the whole arena went silent as everyone watched on eventually however the smoke began to clear revealing all four pokemon were still standing reaffirming Lillie and gladion's conviction that their power was equal a sediment not shared by Dragonus who thanks to his telepathy speaks to not just ash and Serena but Lillie and Gladion as he looked down to them; "equal don't make me laugh; although i will praise you for managing to hurt us!" Dragonus then turned to ash and Serena and gave them a signal to which Serena responded by ordering Phoenix dragon to; "charge in with the furry of the sun close combat!" orders Phoenix dragon quickly complied with and as the Alolan siblings attempted to figure out what was going on they found themselves interrupted by ash; "Dragonus let's finish this with your special ability!" to which Dragonus referred to with just one word; "right" Gladion was stunned he couldn't even begin to guess what they were up to he was so focused in fact Lillie had to warn and remind him about Phoenix dragons attack. Thanks to that warning silvuddy escaped but phoenix dragon was the least of their worries because that was just a diversion! unbeknownst to Lillie and Gladion Dragonus had taken to the air to unleash his special power; "as supreme king of the divine dragons; Dragonus's special move allows him to combine all of his siblings power into one attack as Dragonus continued to charge up he took this opportunity to address his opponents silvuddy and Solgaleo; "we're ready you were formidable but now you are up against not just me but all nine of my siblings!?" it was a revelation that horrified and confused Lillie and Gladion as ash and Serena made the attack declaration; "not with Dragonus special skill supreme kings discharge!" at ash and Serena's command the multi colored attack leaves Dragonus' maul and right towards silvuddy and Solgaleo causing the ground to quake and smoke to build along with a huge shockwave. Leaving everyone even ash and Serena in awe and amazement of that much raw power!


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:  
That power... That Power... captivated the crowd as silence fell. The crowd was waiting to see the results of what Ash and Serena along with Dragonus had just unleashed but one person was taken aback and that of course was none other than Katie the latest addition to Ash and Serena's family. Katie had seen this power only once before when Dragonus came to the rescue of her, her parents and the kingdom of Tempalizin on the dimensional plain years ago.  
Flash-Back Begins (Note this flashback is being told by Katie in her POV):  
Tempalizin was under siege a massive army was advancing from the east and every five minutes our enemy shelled our kingdom. All was lost all was hopeless that was the attitude of Sir. Hobart my parent's chief military commander. He knew we couldn't do it alone but my father king Saito the first was not ready to give up; and neither was my mother Elizabeth as they called on our newest ally to help save us all that ally was none other than the Supreme King of the Divine Dragons; Dragonus. My parents were confident that Dragonus would be able to save us even if others weren't so sure. Commander Hobart even went so far as to remind my dad that we were out numbered 5000 to 1. It seemed my mom and dad were the only ones with confidence in our chances for victory that is until our attention shifted back to the great blue dragon in the sky whose flares and outlines were now glowing and pulsating between white and gold it was truly a "Divine sight" Dragonus even had a new symbol emblazoned upon him which i later learned from Ash and Serena's library was a symbol for something called "infinity" it was a scene that captivated everyone as my mother explained to me that what was going on was Dragonus using his hidden power a lost power called; "Enlightenment." I remember my mother taking me in her arms and explaining to me how this power enlightenment was only able to be unlocked due to their meeting with their different dimensional counterparts standing on the battlefield below; "Ash and Serena" and how it was them who showed my mom and dad that there was more than just their existence there was more to protect and that there was more to life itself. As my father took Dragonus into combat and with a single infinity energy blast was able to wipe out the invasion with one strike.  
Flashback ends:  
As Katie finished thinking back to when she saw that power before the crowd began to gasp as the smoke covering the battlefield cleared. The sight which was being revealed was truly astonishing as the four Pokemon battling appeared to be an "equal match" That is until Ash and Serena unleashed the power of enlightenment it was the power that tipped the scales and resulted in the scene that was now made clear. On that scene lay Solgaleo and Silvuddy with swirls in their eyes as Phoenix dragon floated above them. While Dragonus on the other hand reverted from his pulsating white and gold form back to his standard appearance; As the Supreme King of the Divine Dragon lands on the stadium floor clearly drained from his attack. It was then the tournament came to an end as Kali lifted her arm up over her head and made the call; "Silvuddy & Solgaleo are unable to battle Phoenix dragon and Dragonus win!" "All of Lillie and Gladion's pokemon have been defeated which means the winners of the Domino Grand Tournament are tournament hosts; Ash & Serena Ketchum!"  
It was a call that resulted in the stadium erupt in applause and cheers as Ash and Serena turned to their friends Phoenix Dragon and Dragonus and thanked them for their help. While unseen by everyone except Ash and Serena ghostly apparitions of their different dimensional counterparts King Saito and Queen Elizabeth appeared by their side. It was a scene that would leave the ordinary person horrified and if they shared would certainly gained them labeled insane but this was all to normal to Ash and Serena who have grown accustom to the ghosts of their different dimensional counterparts appearing out of nowhere from time to time. It was then Ash and Serena took the opportunity to thank King Saito and Queen Elizabeth for helping them by sharing the power of enlightenment even though it was a feat that Ash and Serena were just as much responsible for. Enlightenment was truly a collective effort but that fact seemed to have been lost in the moment as the ghostly apparitions of Saito and Elizabeth assured Ash and Serena that their thanks were unnecessary and that they did not owe them anything after all Ash and Serena had taken in their daughter and was treating her as if Katie was their own and that truly was all they could ever ask for as they faded away into the atmosphere surrounding them with Dragonus and Phoenix Dragon followed suite.  
The young couple after watching their friend's returns home walk over to their opponents Lillie and Gladion who were checking on their Pokemon as the crowd continued to cheer and chant Ash and Serena's names. However during this cacophony Ash and Serena manage to thank their opponents Lillie and Gladion and even praised Gladion and Silvuddy for their ability to master the Divine Memory even going so far as to assure the "Emo Trainer" from Alola that Dragonus was truly as impressed as they were. A statement that was responded to by the sky briefly darkening as red lightning flashed before the sky reverted back to normal almost assuring that Ash and Serena's statement was indeed true.  
as the four trainers and friends shared a laugh together Ash and Serena's attention turned to the crowd who was still cheering and applauding and addressed them with Ash taking the lead as his wife Serena stood by his side; "Thank you so much everyone we would like to take a moment to congratulate and thank everyone who participated in this tournament!" before pausing allowing the crowd a chance to applaud everyone before continuing on this time with Serena taking  
The speaking role; "Everyone who participated can take comfort in the fact that you are seen as the strongest of the strong!" As Serena finished her statement Ash picked up where his wife left off; "I think it's safe to say everyone learned and grew a little during this tournament i know me and Serena sure did!" Serena then joined in allowing Ash and Serena to address the crowd once more in unison;  
"And now let's give a round of applause to the domino grand tournament runner-ups Lillie and Gladion Aether!" "we also want to thank our wonderful audience who came to observe this tournament you were all great too we look forward to seeing you all next time everyone and thank you once again!" As Ash and Serena finished their statement the crowd erupted into applause and cheers once again as they went over next to Lillie and Gladion to pose for the cameras.

The Following Morning:  
The atmosphere in Domino had begun to settle from the incredible tournament that concluded less than twenty four hours ago. Things had essentially returned to normal in the Ketchum house hold where Ash and Serena were currently enjoying a quiet breakfast together while Kenny, Kate and Katie were watching the news on the television one room over. However as Ash and Serena continued to eat they found themselves interrupted by Kenny and Kate calling for them to come see what was on the news. Curiosity got the better of the young couple as they got up from the table and into the other room where they were greeted by their photos on the news screen as the reporter gave the headline;  
"THE TWO BIGGEST NEWS STORIES OF THE DAY FIRST ASH & SERENA'S TOURNAMENT BROUGHT AN INCREDIBLE TURN OUT AS THOUSANDS FLOCKED TO THE CITY OF DOMINO TO WATCH ASH & SERENA IN ACTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS AND BOY THEY DIDN'T DISSAPOINT AS THEY DEFATED ALOLA'S LILLIE & GLADION AETHER USING PHONEIX DRAGON AND A NEW DIVINE DRAGON DRAGONUS."  
As video on the screen shifted from Ash and Serena to Dragonus as he launched his attack against Silvuddy and Solgaleo in his infinity form." It was a report that brought a smile to both Ash and Serena's face as they took in the fact that the fans they love had been so concerned for their safety and were so excited for them it was something that both Ash and Serena took great joy in.  
However the mood in the room changed instantly as the new report moved to the other headline. As they introduced the headline they went to a news conference on Paradise Island where Lillie and Gladion were making a major announcement; "good morning everyone today the Aether foundations latest project has a new home the city of domino." "that's right Gladion that project is what we dub; "the inter-dimensional transporter" "our hope is that this device will make our mothers long lasting wish to make travel between our world ultra-space and every other dimension safe and routine!" After Lillie and Gladion made their announcement walked away the news returned back to their studio where the commentator responded to the news by saying; "Exciting stuff!"  
However before anymore could be said Serena who clearly was discontent with what she heard quickly snapped up the remote and turned the television off. As the room fell silent Ash decided to share how genuinely excited he was about the news from Aether that is until Serena snapped at him;  
"NEVER AGAIN; I'VE HAD ENOUGH DIMENSIONAL TRAVELING FOR MY LIFETIME..." Serena's outburst astonished Ash as he turned to Serena and saw the look of anger on her face as the room went silent and Tension began to build. Only to be broken by the sound of their telephone ringing. It was a relief to Ash who now was just looking for an excuse to escape the tension and awkward silence as he quickly volunteered to leave the room and go answer it.

Unfourtuantly for the raven haired trainer he was just going to increase it as he picked up the phone and was greeted by the faces of the two Aether siblings who they had just seen on the television. Ash's conversation with Lillie and Gladion on the phone turned out to be quite brief as Lillie and Gladion just requested a meeting with him, Serena and, Katie before telling Ash that they'd explain when they got there. Ash was confused by all this and why Lillie and Gladion were being so secretive but still agreed to the meeting as they three ended their brief phone conversation.  
As Ash hung up the phone Serena walked in to the room and asked her husband who it was that had just called but Serena's calm nature quickly vanished when Ash explained that it was Lillie and Gladion which quickly set Serena off again;  
"OH IT BETTER NOT BE ABOUT THAT DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL WHATEVER THEY'RE WORKING ON!" "BECAUSE IF IT IS I WILL THROW THEM OUT OF THIS HOUSE SO FAST THEIR HEADS WILL SPIN!" Seeing Serena like this truly frightened Ash as he attempted to calm the Honey Blonde performer down but Serena wasn't having any part of it as she stormed out of the room confirming Ash's belief that this conversation with the Aether siblings was not going to go well. However Ash could worry about that later right now there was something else both him and Serena needed to focus on and that was Kenny and Kate who were currently getting ready to leave home once again to head to the Johto Region. As Kenny and Kate were getting ready to leave they shared a brief goodbye with their parents before turning their attention to Katie to ask her one more time if she was sure she didn't want to go with them.  
An offer that the former princess did consider but after hearing Lillie and Gladion wanted to speak with her Katie figured it would be better for her to stay behind for now. It was a response that Kenny and Kate both understood as they said their final goodbyes and walked out the door to head for the port so they could catch their boat to Johto. Leaving Ash, Serena and Katie alone to wait for Lillie and Gladion to see what they wanted to discuss with them.  
After about an hour of additional waiting Lillie and Gladion finally arrived but as Serena and Katie waited in the study upstairs Ash felt it was necessary to intercept them at the door to warn them about Serena not being happy about this and if they wanted to talk they had better do it fast. They were terms the Aether siblings understood and agreed with as Ash led them upstairs and into the study where Serena and Katie were already waiting. Heading Ash's warning Lillie and Gladion immediately took a seat and began to get down to business but as soon as they divulged the reason for their visit that being their new "THE INTER-DIMENSIONAL TRANSPORTER" Serena stopped them right there instructing Lillie and Gladion to get out however luckily for them Ash was there to help keep the peace and convince Serena to hear them out! At first the honey blonde performer was defiant but eventually and reluctantly agreed as Lillie and Gladion went into detail about their new vehicle and how they wished to test drive it themselves but not take it to ultra-space as it was too dangerous. Ash, Serena and, even Katie were taken aback as they all grew confused about just why Lillie and Gladion were here then and that's when Gladion explained to them that they thought maybe Katie's home world the dimensional plain would be a good target location as it was relatively safe.  
It was a revelation that made the former princess break down and cry as she began to think back to her home world and what had occurred there as well as everyone she lost during the battle including her parents and brother. Seeing Katie like this caused Serena's motherly instincts to kick in as she hugged Katie and allowed her to cry on her. As Ash's attention turned back to the matter at hand and asked Lillie just what they needed from them? It was then Lillie divulged the real purpose of their visit and that was before their expedition goes anywhere they would like to ask The Supreme King of The Divine Dragons; "Dragonus" for safe passage and wished for Ash and Serena to call him. After contemplating it for a moment Ash and Serena agreed to Lillie and Gladion's request to summon Dragonus but wanted to make it clear to the Aether siblings that if Dragonus doesn't grant their request they would not argue for them or help defy Dragonus' wishes. They were terms Lillie and Gladion could live with and agree to and thus with that decided the five of them got up to exit the house and head out back so Ash and Serena could summon Dragonus.  
Once outside Ash and Serena took each other's hands as they called out to The Supreme King of the Divine Dragons. After calling out for Dragonus the five trainers witnessed the sky darken as Dragonus descended through the cloud cover before landing on the ground after which Dragonus let out a low loud roar. After which Dragonus expressed his gratitude to see his friends Ash and Serena again. A sentiment Ash and Serena shared with their friend before informing Dragonus of the reason they brought him here; "Lillie and Gladion here have a question for you!?" After which Ash and Serena opened the floor to Lillie and Gladion. As Dragonus fixated his gaze on Lillie and Gladion then after several minutes Lillie and Gladion broke the silence;  
"WE WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST SAFE PASSAGE TO TRAVEL TO THE DIMENSIONAL PLAIN, FOR A PEACEFUL EXPLORATORY MISSION!" After finishing their request the atmosphere returned to awkward silence until Dragonus broke it by asking the Ather siblings if he was correct in remembering that they helped rescue him and his brothers. A question Lillie and Gladion answered with a simple nod. Seeing this and without hesitation Dragonus granted the Aether siblings request with safe passage ON THE CONDITION YOU'RE EXPEDITION DOESN'T CAUSE ANY TROUBLE OR HARM! Before fading away and allowing the sky to clear back up. Once Dragonus was gone Gladion turned to his sister and instructed her to have their team make preparations but before Lillie and Gladion could leave they found themselves stopped by Katie who insisted she was going with them! At first this was a suggestion Ash and Serena were hesitant about and objected to but Katie turned out to be very persuasive as she convinced Ash, Serena and Lillie and, Gladion to let her do this.  
The Following Morning at Aether's Inter-Dimensional Transporter research lab in Downtown Domino:  
The lab was a buzz as the space shuttle looking Inter-Dimensional Transporter prepared for its maiden voyage on board was Lillie, Gladion, Katie and two Aether researchers. As it grew closer to launch time one of the controllers radioed to Lillie that all systems were go for "Aether Flight One." As Lillie acknowledged this information onboard the craft Gladion flipped the switch opening the Dimensional gate that would take them to the Dimensional Plain. Tension was high as everyone began to hold their breath anxious to see if this would work but Serena had one more thing to say to Lillie;  
"YOU ALL TAKE CARE AND LILLIE MAKE SURE KATIE COMES BACK SAFE WE'RE COUNTING ON YOU!" As the radio began to crackle Serena heard Lillie's response; "THANKS SERENA AND DON'T WORRY WE'LL MAKE SURE SHE COMES BACK SAFE!" As the area was rocked by the crackling of Inter-Dimensional Transporter's engines fired catapulting the craft through the gateway as the big clock in front of the launch sight began to countdown to when the Inter-Dimensional Transporter was to arrive one the Dimensional Plain. As the clock ticked down to zero the gateway closed; it was a scene that built even more tension until a beep began going off from the main consul. It was the signal that the Inter-Dimensional Transporter had arrived on the Dimensional Plain safe and sound much to everyone's relief.

After hearing the confirmation Ash turned to Serena and while completely lost in her hypnotic blue eyes Ash couldn't help but admit to Serena that he was amazed that she'd let Katie do this. It was a statement that made Serena smile as she expressed to the raven haired trainer that she; "TRUST'S KATIE BESIDES THIS EXPEDITION HAS DRAGONUS' BLESSING AND THAT THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER!" Those words brought a smile to both Ash and Serena's faces as Ash whispered to his wife; "YOU TRULY ARE AMAZING SERENA; I LOVE YOU..."  
They were words that brought a huge blush to the performers face as she took the raven haired trainers hand to leave the lab and head out to their long Promised, awaited and well deserved vacation, holding hands along the entire way.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:  
As another sunrise graced the city of Domino adopted hometown of Ash and Serena Ketchum. The young couple was greeted by the sight of jets gliding through the air and the roar of jet engines as they approached the airport. This was it this was the day Ash and Serena were leaving for their long promised yet long delayed vacation; their destination Paladin Point a resort town that held significance for the young couple as it was where Ash and Serena celebrated their honeymoon years ago. As the young couple entered the airport Ash couldn't help but ask Serena if she was "ready to go?" A question the honey blonde trainer responded to with a nod before whispering; "You bet Ash I've been looking forward to this for a long time." It was a response that caused the raven haired trainer to feel guilty for making his favorite person in the world wait so long. However Ash's guilt soon washed away as he felt Serena take his hand forcing Ash to look at her and seeing Serena's smile and her shimmering blue eyes brought a smile back to both of the young trainers face as they walked over and retrieved their tickets from the ticket counter before hearing an announcement over the P.A.;  
"Attention flight RR01 to Paladin Point is now boarding!" It was an announcement that overjoyed Ash and Serena as they realized that was their flight as they walked to the gate their hands intertwined and with grins on their faces to board their flight. After a few hours of flight "RR01" began its final approach into Paladin Point's international airport during which time Ash and Serena leaned closer to one another to look out the window at the glistening resort town below them. As the young couple became entranced by this sight Serena who now had her head resting on Ash's shoulder Ash took the opportunity to whispers to Serena; "It sure brings back good memories doesn't it Serena?" A few seconds passed before Ash heard a response; "It sure does Ash!" Serena's breath tickling Ash's neck as she did so once again making a smile appear on Ash's face. Right now Ash and Serena were in their own world and it stayed that way until they heard the voice of the captain addressing the aircraft over the P.A.  
"Attention onboard the aircraft we will be landing at Paladin Point International Airport momentarily." The announcement drew Ash and Serena's attention away from the window as the returned to their seats until they landed.  
A few Minutes Later:  
Once their flight de-board and they retrieved their bags Ash and Serena walked out of the airport and were greeted by the sunset on the bay causing all the buildings to glimmer in an orange glow along with the smell of tropical air. It truly was soothing but with it getting late already it guaranteed that their wouldn't be much to do a sentiment Serena quickly shared with Ash causing the raven haired trainer to gaze down to his feet and apologize to the honey blonde performer next him but was immediately uplifted when Serena assured Ash that; "It didn't matter because they were here together now and that was all that mattered." It was a statement that caused Ash to perk up once again as his wife suggested they head to their hotel for the night to get some sleep." before hugging him after sharing their embrace for a few moments Ash and Serena reluctantly let go of one another before Serena took Ash's hand in hers and walked over to a taxi together to take them to the inn they would be staying at.  
The Following Morning:  
Ash and Serena found themselves slowly woken up by the warm sunrise filling their hotel room it wasn't much just a bed with a flat screen TV hanging on the sky blue painted wall with a desk and chair in the corner right beside a small bathroom. As the sunrise woke up the trainers they couldn't help but ask each other if they had slept well a question they both answered with a yes before sharing a quick kiss before hearing a knock on the door. Leaving Serena confused as to who that could be but before Ash could answer they heard the person at their door calling to them; "Room Service" as Ash reluctantly got up from Serena's side and opened the door allowing the hotel worker to pass the small cart with their breakfast order to him. As Ash pushed the cart out of the doorway he tipped the gentleman who bowed to him in gratitude before departing allowing Ash to close the door so he and Serena could enjoy a nice quiet breakfast together.  
After finishing breakfast Ash and Serena both got ready to leave and explore the town and before too long the young couple found themselves strolling along the shopping district in awe of just how expansive it was. Ash even at one point commented that he had; "forgotten how big it was and that it rivaled the size of Domino." However after passing a couple more store fronts Serena found something that not only caught her attention but brought her to a complete stand still and it wasn't even until Ash turned around he noticed Serena staring into the window. However when Ash called out to her Serena didn't even move which drew Ash's curiosity as he walked back to her to see what she was looking at. Once at Serena's side Ash gazed into  
The window and saw what Serena was fixating on inside the window was a pink diamond shaped gem with purple and black lines running through it. While Ash wondered what that gem was Serena was just fixated on its beauty and before she knew it Serena was practically begging for it. Ash was at a loss he loved Serena and one of the things Ash loves most is to make Serena happy so the raven haired trainer caved and agreed to go buy Serena the gem.  
Ash and Serena then entered the store and inquired about purchasing it. After which the shopkeeper walked to the case and got the gem out of the case with white gloves on before placing it a small white "gift box" with blue bands on it before returning to the counter with it and once Ash paid for it the shopkeeper handed the box to Serena who was now crying tears of joy thanking Ash for buying it for her. As the young couple had their moment they found themselves interrupted by the shopkeeper who asked the young couple if they planned on going to the concert tomorrow night." It was a question that confused Ash and Serena until the shopkeeper pointed to a poster on the wall advertising a concert and explained the concert was by Liz a local musician here in Paladin Point who was extremely talented. The information intrigued Ash and Serena especially after hearing the shopkeeper tell them he; "highly recommends her music" So Ash and Serena after exchanging a look with one another told the gentleman that they probably would before exiting the shop Serena still clasping her new gem's box in her hands as Ash held the door open for her. After visiting the jewelry store; Ash and Serena decided to stop for a bite to eat before returning to their hotel.  
The Following Morning:  
As sunrise rose on day two of Ash and Serena's Vacation but unlike day one when Ash woke up Serena was already up and by the looks of it has been up for a while. Which Ash deduced by looking at Serena's neck where the gem he had purchased for her was hanging as a necklace. As Ash gazed at Serena he heard the honey blonde performer telling him how she decided to make it a necklace. As Ash assured Serena that it looked really great which brought a blush to her face before discussing what they planned to do for the day after which Ash and Serena decided they'd spend the day at the beach and go to the concert by Liz they had learned about the day before.  
Meanwhile in the shopping district of Paladin Point:  
At the very same store Ash and Serena were at just yesterday a hooded figure along with five men approached the store front these men were dressed in combat fatigues light brown uniforms over which were black vests while on their heads rested combat style helmets with masks covering their faces. The group stayed back in the bushes for several minutes casing the store with binoculars before finally getting up and storming into the store breaking the door of the hinges as they did so. Once inside the store the group made their way over to the counter where the shopkeeper was quaking in fear mostly because he could see the ordinance these masked guys were packing. Eventually the hooded figure yelled to her men in what the shopkeeper quickly ascertained was a female voice to; "Find that Gem" as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture of the gem the shopkeeper had sold Ash and Serena yesterday and demanded to know where it was.  
Silence filled the room as the shopkeeper began to fear where this could go but eventually informed the cloaked burglar that he no longer had the gem and that he had sold it to a wealthy young couple yesterday. It was news that infuriated the cloaked woman as she demanded to know who he sold it to but the shopkeeper was braver or maybe even stupider depending on how you looked at it thought as he lied and told the assailant he had no idea who they were as they didn't give him their names. The assailant could tell the store owner was lying and called his bluff demanding answers that is until one of her mercenaries called out for her to take a look at the poster on the wall for the concert that evening and suggested they should go crash it because everyone would be there. The masked woman knew she wasn't getting anywhere with the useless shop clerk and decided to go along with this plan as they all exited the store leaving the poor shopkeeper stunned and filled with dismay.  
A few hours later:  
After spending the day on the beach Ash and Serena were walking back to their hotel to go change and get ready for the concert which would be starting soon talking with one another about how they were enjoying their vacation completely unaware of the robbery that had occurred just blocks away. Once back at their hotel Ash and Serena both got changed into clean clothes but as Serena Asked Ash if they should get going Serena saw Ash just staring at her with a blank face which caused the honey blonde performer to give a look of concern as she waved her hand in front of Ash's face and said; "Hello Earth To Ash..." Words that broke Ash out of his trance like state as Serena asked if he was alright." A question Ash answered with a yes before telling Serena; "That she just had that effect on her" which brought a smirk to Serena's face as she leaned in and whispered to Ash that; "Flattery would get him nowhere at least not now" before lightly pecking him on the lips before reminding Ash that the concert was staring soon before making her way to the door with Ash right behind her.  
After a few minutes of walking Ash and Serena arrived at the packed concert venue and proceeded to make their way to the front by the stage just in time to hear the announcer introduce Liz who came out to the mic the small girl with green hair and a white and pink jacket with long brown pants but just as Liz began to play her and the crowd are astonished and confused by the sounds of explosions before the masked men that were responsible for the attempted armed robbery at the jewelry store earlier stormed the stage with their weapons out. Frightening and infuriating Ash and Serena as they watched Liz run for her life. They both knew they had to do something but they shortly remembered that all their Pokemon were back home. It was then they heard one of the mercenaries who had come to the mic make a demand; "Alright people listen up one of you has something of ours now hand it over!"  
However; rather than pay any attention the crowd panicked more forcing the man to take a more threating tone. Serena and Ash had both had enough and turned to one another sharing the sentiment that they had to do something and without hesitation called on one of their friends Gorath The Divine Guardian Dragon of War. Whose approach was signaled by the sky growing darker as Gorath made his entrance confusing the crowd and striking fear in the attackers just by this white behemoths presence not knowing what was going on the group fired their weapons forcing Ash to command Gorath to defend by dropping his blade shaped arm in front of the crowd to protect the panicked spectators As Ash and Serena ran in front of Gorath and demanded the attackers to; "STOP!"  
With Gorath behind them Ash and Serena reiterated their demands to these thugs to "stop" as the assailants began to stare in fear at Gorath. Eventually the stalemate was interrupted by a feminine voice calling out; "WELL... WELL... WELL..." As the mastermind behind the robbery earlier stepped out of the shadows; Seeing her was a sight that Ash, Serena and even Gorath couldn't believe mistaking the stranger for their old foe; "The Grandmaster of Tempalizin" As they watched the figure in horror they immediately demanded to know how their attacker survived? While Gorath telepathically announced; "I thought my brother and Arceus destroyed you!" Statements that confused the hooded figure as she had no idea what they were talking about before focusing on Serena who had the gem that she was seeking around her neck and without hesitation demanded it be handed over despite Gorath's presence. It was then that Gorath put two and two together that this was a different person which the hooded girl took as a cue as she lowered her hood revaling her true face and announcing; "The names Celina and now I ask you again hand over that gem!" A demand that infuriated the two trainers as Ash took a stance in front of Serena and assured Celina that wasn't going to happen while Serena who was now standing behind Ash remarked;  
"It's mine!" Which was a response that brought an ear to ear grin on Celina's face as she instructed her men to take it from them" As the masked men approached Serena and Ash with their weapons pointed at them Ash gave the order to Gorath to; "Attack with Divine Blade Slash!" Orders Gorath quickly complied with and with one single swing of his sword like arm sent Celina's men flying before forcing them into the ground surrounding her. It was an infuriating scene to Celina as she cursed out what she called her entire team useless as Ash and Serena once again demanded Celina to surrender! A demand that Celina deemed unacceptable as she challenged the world champions to try and stop her!  
Which is never a good idea to challenge to Ash and Serena to do anything as she soon learned because as soon as she turned around and began to run Ash commanded Gorath to drop his Blade arm to cut off her only escape route which Gorath quickly did leaving Celina with no way to escape infuriating Celina even more as she once again asserted she couldn't be stopped! To Ash and Serena this situation was getting annoying this whole fiasco had been dragged out for far too long; Ash and Serena decided the time had come to stop this. So Ash ordered Gorath to grab Celina before she had a chance to escape. So Gorath with his human like hand grabbed Celina and grasped her tight as the police arrived to take care of her; before long the area was swarming with cops including officer Jenny and Looker.  
Who informed Ash and Serena that Celina was a master Jewel thief wanted in Johto and Kanto as well as being the suspected mastermind behind the theft of the Kalos Regions Crown Jewels; It was information that made Ash and Serena feel even better about what they had done as they instructed Gorath to release Celina who was still squirming in the war guardians grasp. Celina before she even had a chance to react found herself in cuffs as Looker and Officer Jenny dragged her and her subordinates into a prison transport before clearing the scene to take them all to prison. With Celina gone Ash and Serena turned their attention back to Gorath and thanked him for bailing them out of that mess.  
While Gorath kept assuring his friends that wasn't necessary before fading back to his home on the Dimensional Plain; Once Gorath was gone a very excited Liz approached Ash and Serena and informed them that she was a huge fan of theirs and repeatedly thanked them for saving the show before asking them if there was anything she could do for them? Hearing that question Ash and Serena turned to one another and thought about it for a moment before facing Liz again and told her that they; "Were really wanting to listen to her play and that they'd like for Liz to give her performance now?" It was a simple request that Liz was more than happy to oblige and before Ash and Serena knew it Liz was on stage as she announced that she was sorry for the delay before starting the show much to Ash and Serena's excitement.  
As Liz began to work through her set Ash and Serena both found themselves in awe of Liz and they could quickly see why she was so popular in fact as they listened on Serena told Ash that she'd have to; "Tell Aria that she found the perfect person to do the music at their next exhibition!" A statement not even Ash could argue as they continued to listen on. After a couple minutes Liz began the next song of her set it was a slower pace quieter song and Serena took advantage of the lighter mood to finally "thank Ash for all of this and tell him she had a great time; even with their interruption." Words and sentiment echoed by Ash before assuring Serena that thanks weren't necessary and that "as long as she was happy he was happy."  
As Serena expressed to Ash that she wished they could stay longer and that tomorrow wasn't the last day of their vacation." Again a sentiment Ash echoed as he told his childhood friend; "Me too Serena; I'd love to just stay here with you..." They were words that brought a smile to both their faces as Liz finished her final song of the night much to the pleasure of the crowd as they applauded her but tonight Liz felt she needed to share the spotlight as she instructed her fans to; "Give it up for the world champions Ash and Serena Ketchum for saving the show!" Instructions the crowd followed making Ash and Serena a little embarrassed as Liz whished the crowd a goodnight and thanked everyone one more time before coming out" before exiting the stage. Shortly after Liz left the stage the crowd began to disperse amongst them were Ash and Serena who headed to their hotel to get a goodnights sleep before having to head for home tomorrow morning.  
The Following Morning:  
The sun began to rise once more over Paladin Point but today was a bittersweet day as it was the final day of Ash and Serena's vacation and in true vacation fashion Ash and Serena decided that since their flight home didn't leave until later the day they would take full advantage of the opportunity to sleep in alas however before the couple knew it. It was time to wake up and get ready to fly home. It was bittersweet but as Ash and Serena walked downstairs to check out of the hotel Serena took the opportunity to lighten the doom and gloom atmosphere and reminded Ash that to them; "Wherever they are at together is a vacation!" They were words that did bring a smile to Ash's face as they approached the check-out counter and checked out before getting in a taxi to head to the airport. After a short ride in the taxi the young couple arrived at the airport and began to proceed to the gate holding each other's hands as they did so that is until Serena felt her travel-dex vibrate in her pocket indicating she had gotten a message. Curiosity eventually got the best of Serena as she let go of Ash's hand to retrieve the travel-dex from her pocket to read the message as her and Ash walked to the gate.  
Along the way as Serena read the message she began to smile which made curiosity get the better of Ash as he asked Serena what was up?" Serena hearing her husband's question then decided to fill him in; "Aria she got ahold of Liz's manager on my recommendation and Liz said; she'd love to perform at our next exhibition!" Ash was amazed by the news as he told Serena that he thought that was awesome!" As Serena returned her travel-dex to her pocket so they could board their flight home.  
Once Ash and Serena were on the plane and the plane had rolled on to the tarmac to prepare for takeoff Serena began to think about something that had been on her mind for a while and decided to ask Ash how he thought how Katie, Lillie And, Gladion's expedition was going?" It was a question that definitely surprised Ash but after a minute or two answered Serena; Hmmm... No idea Serena but; The Guardian Dragons didn't come to us to say anything bad happened; so I'm sure it's going great..."  
Hearing Ash's response brought a smile to Serena's face as she whispered; "Yeah you're probably right." Before Ash decided to ask Serena; "how she thought Kenny and Kate were doing?" A question Serena answered by telling Ash; "I bet they're having a blast and doing their best just like we did!" While placing her hand on Ash's as it rested on the armrest between them before whispering to Ash; "I just wanted to thank you again for this trip you're the best." A statement that brought a smile to Ash's face as he responds by whispering to Serena; "So are you Serena!" Before whispering to one another three simple words; "I love you" as their plane began to take off into the big blue sky to fly them home to Domino.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:  
As their plane approached their adopted hometown Ash and Serena couldn't help but lean close to one another and gaze out the window at the shimmering buildings below. It was truly a captivating sight that had the young couples complete attention that is until they heard the captain come over the P.A.; "Attention on board the aircraft we are now on final approach for Domino Airfield we will be landing momentarily!" Hearing that announcement brought Ash and Serena's attention away from the window and back towards one another as their plane finally landed.

An Hour Later:

After their plane landed and they retrieved their luggage Ash and Serena slowly made their way back home with their hands intertwined and smiles on their faces. However; as Ash and Serena made the short walk home the young couple was blissfully unaware that they were being watched by a gentleman as he pulled out his communicator; "ATTENTION COMMAND THE WORLD CHAMPIONS HAVE RETURNED AND RE HEADING TOWARDS THE BATTLE COLLISEUM." A report that was responded to by whoever was this man's new commander; "Understood I'll relay the information; in the meantime keep an eye on them from a distance until reinforcements arrive!" orders the grunt quietly acknowledges as he slides away deeper into the tree line. Then after a few more minutes of walking; Ash & Serena are greeted by the sight of their home. It was a truly welcoming sight for the young couple as they turned to one another and smiled before walking inside.  
Once inside they were greeted by Kali dressed in her traditional all black attire as she asked her employers if they enjoyed their vacation. a question Ash and Serena answered with a quick; "Yes and You Bet." before Ash asked where their Pokemon were!? To which Kali answered by assuring Ash and Serena that they were all out black enjoying this beautiful weather before turning to Serena and informed her that she had company waiting for her upstairs in her and Ash's study. A statement that initially surprised the performer as she realized her "guest" arrived early. Not wanting to be rude Serena placed her bag down and insisted she'd "go ahead and head upstairs" While Ash assured her that he would put their things in their bedroom, check on their Pokemon and then bring some tea up to them." An offer that brought a smile to Serena's face as she kissed her husbands cheek and thanked him before turning to Kali and asked her to follow her upstairs instructions Kali smiled at before asking; "Planning another exhibition!?" A question Serena responded to with a nod before heading upstairs with Kali in tow.

A few hours later:

Inside Ash and Serena's study the table sitting in the middle of the room was covered with several pieces of paper. On the paper were plans for Serena's upcoming exhibition which was being poured over by Serena, Kail who Serena trusted as a confidant, and "Serena's special visitor" Aria who had taken over her teacher Palermo's job as chief operator of the Showcases. As the three ladies looked over these plans Serena couldn't help but ask what they thought. To which Aria and Kali answered by assuring Serena that everything looked good. After which Kali couldn't help but express another unrelated thought; "I am starting to get thirsty though" a thought echoed by Aria as Serena muttered; "well Ash was supposed to be bringing..."

but before Serena could finish her statement Her, Kali And, Aria hear a knock on the door as Ash entered the room with the tea he promised Serena!" Much to the relief of the three ladies but, Serena couldn't help but ask; "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG ASH!?" A question Ash answered with a light chuckle as he placed the tea on the table before rubbing the back of his head before explaining; "Sorry for the delay; I just got off the phone with Aether Serena..." Hearing the word "Aether" immediately worried Serena as she jumped up from her seat demanding to know if something happened to Katie, Lillie or Gladion!? To which Ash responded to with a smile;  
"Of course not Serena they just wanted us to know everything was going excellent and that they were going to be returning home later this week!" A response that allowed Serena to breathe a sigh of relief before scolding Ash for scaring her like that!"  
As Ash quietly apologizes to Serena whom after calming down began to smile again as she ralised the timing couldn't have been better as Ash's focus fixates on the table where the plans and details Serena Kali and Aria were discussing were in plain view. Almost forcing Ash to ask the question; "I take it that means you've got the exhibition planned?" A question Serena responded to with a soft smile; "You bet; we've had the overall event planned for months so it was just a matter of finishing the details!" It was a response that brought a smile to Ash's face as Aria asked Serena as she sat behind her; "That's right this would be Katie's first time seeing a performance right?" It was a question that caused Serena to sigh before responding; "That's right... i just hope she'll like it and enjoy it..."  
It was a response that showed doubt from his wife for Ash so quickly and without hesitation Ash placed his hands on her shoulder and assured Serena; "Don't worry she will Serena... every one of these you do is amazing and awesome!" Assurances reinforced by Kali and Aria causing Serena to not only smile but blush in embarrassment as she leaned over to Ash and whispered to him; "thank you Ash... I love you..." so quietly that their guests couldn't hear them.

The Following Morning:

With all the details confirmed for Serena's next exhibition a small army of workers have descended on the "Domino Coliseum" to transform it and get everything ready for the event overseen by Kali and Serena herself. Before anyone knew it the clock was coming closer and closer to noon; Something that did not go unnoticed by Serena as she turned to Kali and asked her if she knew where Ash was? Kali then assured her boss that he was out back training. An answer that was not at all surprising to Serena as she decided to take a break and spend some time with Ash. As she turned to Kali and asked; "I'm going to go take a break; you got things handled here!?" a question that Kali answered with a nod as Serena picked up a small box and walked out the door to go find Ash. Once outside Serena discovered Ash Greninji and Pikachu training in the back yard. It was a sight that captivated Serena as she decided to just stand and watch for a few minutes before finally interupting the three of them; "Looking Great Boys..."

It was a response that initially startled Ash and his pokemon as Serena approached them her presence bringing a smile to Ash's face as she did so and once Serena was standing in front of him Ash couldn't help but ask Serena; "What she was doing here?" A question that caused the honey blonde to giggle as she responded to her husband; "Well i baked fresh cookies this morning so i thought I'd take a break and share them with my favorite person in the world!" It was a response that stunned Ash a bit at first as he became lost in Serena's shimmering Blue eyes before agreeing to Serena's request. A sight that signaled to Greninja and Pikachu to go play with the others while Serena took Ash's arm so they could go find a place to be alone while unbeknownst to Ash and Serena once again they were being watched by two strange men who used their communicators to relay a brief message to their commanders; "Observation team to command no sign of the Divine Dragons at this time!" before disappearing into the shadows.

A Few Minutes Later:

After walking together for a couple of minutes Ash and Serena found a small clearing with a meadow blooming with flowers it was truly a captivating sight and Ash and Serena knew immediately that this was a good place to have some time alone with each other as the couple walked over next to a small shade tree where the two Sat down and scooted close to one another as Serena opened the small box she had with her revealing the fresh baked cookies she had made as the young couple began to eat.

Another hour passed as Ash and Serena continued to relax leaning against the tree they found as Ash had his arm wrapped around Serena brining smile to both their faces; "I really missed having alone time with you like this ash just the two of us." Serena whispered to Ash who responded by; "Me too Serena it has been awhile; but maybe we can work on fixing that!" and after assuring Serena that they we're going to fix that Serena finds herself surprised by ash grabbing ahold of her and pulling her towards him. Causing the performer to laugh as they whispered; "I Love you" to one another before sharing a quick kiss. It was a moment that neither Ash or Serena wanted to end but alias they knew that their lives were calling them both. At first Ash was reluctant but agreed when Serena promised Ash that they could continue where they left off later as they helped one another back to their feet and walked back home together.

Once arriving back at the Domino Coliseum Ash true to his word began helping the workers finish setting up for the exhibition the way Serena saw it and after several hours of work everything was setup to Serena's standards. Which was evident as she personally thanked each worker as they left until soon it was just her Ash and Kali left in the room but of course Serena had a special thank you for Ash as she hugged and shared a kiss with her husband. While Kali couldn't help but ask Serena when; "Liz was supposed to arrive?" because of course Serena and Ash wasted no time in praising the musician they learned about on their vacation. Serena was a little irritated Kali had interrupted her and Ash's moment she didn't want to be rude as she answered her; "She'll be here later tomorrow and that Aria would escort her to the coliseum when she arrived." Before thanking Kali and taking a grip on Ash's arm before suggesting to Ash that they; "call it a day!?" A suggestion the exhausted raven haired trainer quickly "seconded."

The Following Morning with Ash and Serena:

As the sun rose on the home of Ash and Serena the young couple were enjoying a nice quiet morning on their front porch Ash of course had Pikachu asleep in his lap while Serena had Sylveon asleep in hers. As Ash asked Serena what the plan was for today? A question that made the performer smile as she answered her husband;"Well Aria is going to escort Liz here when she arrives but until then there isn't much we can do!" It was a statement that brought a smile to Ash and Serena's face as they realized that means they'd have a quiet morning to themselves or at least that was the plan until they heard their doorbell ring. It was something unexpected and peaked Serena's interest as her and Sylveon got up to go see who was at the door. When Serena entered the foyer and opened the door she was greeted by a familiar face her best friend and one time rival from Kalos; "Shauna" Serena was astonished by her friend's early arrival but was happy to see her none the less as she invited her inside.

Meanwhile At the Domino Airport:

Liz had finally arrived in Domino and the musician loved the sight of the city prominently displayed out the airport windows and it was then as she wandered the terminal she was greeted by Aria who quickly and excitedly introduced herself to the Paladin Point native. It was surly the warmest welcome Liz had ever experienced as Aria escorted the musician and guest of Serena outside the airport and to a waiting car.

Meanwhile Back At Ash & Serena's Home:

Shauna was happily conversing with her friend and husband catching up with both Ash and Serena before turning the conversation to Ash and Serena's tournament victory over Lillie and Gladion. Before turning the focus more specifically on Serena's torracat the one she saw on television. The new Pokemon was extremely intriguing to the performer and she really wanted to see it so Shauna managed to convince Serena and Torracat to have a battle with her while they waited for Liz. A request Serena eventually agreed to before turning to Ash and asking her husband if he'd like to come and watch. A question Ash answered with a nod as he followed Serena and Shauna outside to watch their upcoming battle. Once outside Serena and Shauna took their positions. Serena asked Ash if he could judge for them since Kali hadn't arrived yet. A request Ash complied with as Serena brought out her Torracat while Shauna brought out her Pokemon; "Florges" a baffling move to both Ash and Serena sending a grass type intentionally into battle against a fire type while Shauna smirked responding to her friends concerns by saying that it "Doesn't matter if your attacks don't hit..." Before Ash called for the battle to begin intrigued on just how this battle would turn out. After several minutes the car carrying both Aria and Liz arrived in front of Ash and Serena's home.  
Which was connected to the battle coliseum it was an awe inspiring sight to Liz who as a fan of Ash and Serena had heard of this place and seen pictures but never had the honor of coming here in person but as the two ladies stood their they heard noise coming from around back as well as Serena and another female clearly giving out orders for a battle which really peaked their curiosity as they walked around towards the sounds and sure enough upon their arrival they saw Serena having a battle with Shauna and the smoke from the battle clearing out as Ash made the battle call; "Florges is unable to battle so Torracat is the winner"

As torracat gave out a shallow roar before turning around and running into his trainers arms as Ash congratulated them as Aria and Liz called out to them finally catching their attention as Liz ran to them curious herself about Serena's Torracat which gained fame during the Domino Grand Tournament eventually introductions were out of the way as Liz heard Aria and Shauna talk about how Serena spoke so highly of her it was a revelation that brought a blush of embarrassment across the musicians face as Serena thanked her for her agreeing to do this something Liz assured Serena that it wasn't necessary as she felt this was an honor to do as Ash and the others helped Liz with her gear and escorted her inside to get setup for her part of the exhibition.

Once inside the coliseum Ash and the others helped Liz get setup and of course like any good musician once her gear was setup Liz felt the need to test it and make sure everything was ready for her show. As Liz grabbed her guitar and got in front of the microphone and begin to play. Her music having an almost hypnotic effect on everyone including Kali who had just arrived for work and as Liz continued to play and fall into her own little world everyone turned to Ash and Serena; "you guys weren't kidding about her; and that Liz was incredible!" Praise that everyone reiterated and gave Liz as she finished her song bringing great joy to the musician; as she revealed that this particular song was written specifically for this event much to everyone's amazement. Serena then went up to Liz and started talking to her but found herself quickly stopped by Ash who nudged her arm and directed her attention to the time and the fact that it was time to meet Katie, Lillie and Gladion.  
Realizing this Serena and Ash turned to their guests and informed them of what they needed to do and invited their guests to make themselves at home until they got back as they walked out the door together.

A Few Minutes Later:

After several minutes of walking Ash and Serena had arrived at The Aether Foundations Domino Building home to the "Inter-Dimensional Transporter" The one Lillie, Gladion and Katie were returning from the Dimensional Plain on and after waiting a few more minutes. The "Inter-Dimensional Transporter" finally returned to the lab right on schedule! As the large airplane like machine came to a full stop in front of them Ash and Serena watched the hatch open out of which Stepped Katie followed by Lillie and Gladion. As Katie went to Serena who asked how their exhibition went Lillie and Gladion turned to Ash almost with lifeless expressions on their faces as Ash asked them; "So what'd you think; it's just like we described right!?"

Ash's question was just answered by muttering from Gladion who thought Ultra-Space was the definition of extreme while Lillie questioned how it was possible for Katie to go on like nothing happened. It was then everyone's attention turned to Katie as she informed everyone that her Lillie and Gladion had a surprise that they were going to be working on.

A statement that certainly peaked Ash and Serena's curiosity However Serena had a surprise of her own to show Katie Lillie and Gladion as her and Ash escorted them outside and towards the Domino Coliseum assuring all three of them that they'd love this surprise as they continued to make their way there.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

After several minutes of walking Ash and Serena followed by Katie, Lillie and, Gladion arrived back at Ash and Serena's home The Domino Coliseum but arriving here didn't answer Lillie's question to the young couple and that was. "What the big surprise was?" Because from the outside it didn't appear anything was going on but like they always say looks are deceiving as Serena assured everyone they'd find out soon before leading everyone inside and it was there everything fell into place. Inside the Domino Coliseum the battlefield had been completely transformed and converted from a stadium that hosted The domino Grand Tournament into a showcase stadium the largest any of the regions had ever seen with the centerpiece being a grand stage draped in silver and gold curtains and decorations that took up almost three quarters of what was the battlefield.

However while the sight brought joy to Lillie who knew immediately what was going on as she was always a fan of Serena's performances. Katie just looked on in confusion which was the cue for Serena and Ash but mostly Serena to explain the concept of performances and showcases but while Serena's explanation intrigued Katie and peaked the former princess's curiosity. While Gladion on the other hand just looked on at Serena, Katie and even his sister gushing over what Serena has planned with a look of an amusement on his face as the "Emo trainer" thought of the whole performance and contest concepts as un-amusing wastes of time with that said at first Gladion declined Serena's invitation to watch the coming show as a V.I.P. which he was soon scolded by both Ash and Lillie who thought Gladion was being "Exceptionally rude!" Serena though however was not deterred confident that she could make Gladion see the light and make a believer out of him yet when it comes to the power of Performances and they joy they could bring to humans and Pokemon alike. Eventually the "Peer pressure" consumed Gladion as he begrudgingly accepted the invitation to watch the show with Lillie, Ash and, Katie bringing a smile to everyone's face but especially Serena's.

The Following Morning at Domino Coliseum:

The Stadium of Domino Coliseum was erupting into applause and anticipation filled the air as the start time of Serena's exhibition drew near among the crowd was Ash, Katie, Lillie and, Gladion who were watching from the V.I.P box. Eventually the crowd's anticipation was turned to a silent calm as the lights dimmed down and the spotlights focused on the middle of the stage. It was then Serena walked into the spotlight wearing her trademark performance outfit which had gone through some alterations but for the most part was an exact replica of her Kalos performance costume. It was the sight of Serena in her Performance outfit that captivated Ash most of all he couldn't help but stare at his wife from time to time Serena just had that effect on him; no matter what she was wearing Serena always made it look good in Ash's eyes.

Once at the microphone Serena addressed the crowd and her fans watching this event which was being broadcasted around the world; "Good morning everyone and welcome domino coliseum. I'm glad to see we've got such a great audience today and hope you all enjoy the show but, before me and my predecessor aria put on our shows for you; I'd like to introduce you all to a good friend of mine!" "Liz could you come up here please!?"

It was then at Serena's cue Liz walked on stage her black hair shimmering in the spotlight in her glisten white outfit and a guitar clutched in her hand. It was a scene that confused many in the audience about just who this person was and what was going on even Lillie, Katie and Gladion turned to Ash in confusion for answers but rather than answer their questions Ash just told them to watch and see for themselves as their attention returned to the stage where Serena began to speak again; "Liz here is a very talented musician from Paladin Point and she came all the way here to perform a special concert for you all." before Serena turned to Liz and informed her that the stage was hers before stepping back and allowing Liz to begin. However before beginning Liz took the brief chance she had to address the crowd; "Thank you Serena and thank you domino for having me and, i hope you enjoy the show!"

(Insert Sword Art Online Alternative Gun Gale Online Rea(s)oN ( Episode 12 Insert Song)

As Liz began to play the audience in the coliseum and around the world were in awe by her talent at singing and guitar playing even Lillie and Gladion who were skeptical about the level of praise Ash and Serena gave her but were now clearly proven wrong. After Liz completed her "Opening set" for the exhibition she took a slight bow and thanked the people of Domino through the microphone.

Meanwhile Backstage with Serena and Aria:

As Liz finished her set and was thinking the crowd Serena and Aria were listening in backstage still in awe by Liz's talent themselves especially Aria who like most people had never heard Liz's music for the first time however; this did not stop the two women from getting back to the matter at hand and that was to make sure they worked together to give not only Domino but the world a show they'll never forget a vow the two friends sealed with a handshake as they waited for their cue to take the stage.

Back On the Stage:

As Liz concluded her praise to the audience through the microphone Kali's voice rang out through the stadium's P.A. System; "And now for our main event the exhibition performance by our master of ceremonies Serena Ketchum and her predecessor aria with music presented by Liz!" It was an announcement that brought the entire audience to their feet as their applause and anticipation filled the air Liz picked up her guitar and placed it in her hands to begin playing her "Performance set" as Serena and Aria along with their Pokemon took the stage and began their performance. The crowd of course was enjoying the show that both Serena and Aria were putting on but Ash's focus was solely on his wife Serena as she danced elegantly across the stage Ash would never grow tired of watching the person he loved doing what she loved. However all good things must come to an end as Serena and Aria finished their routine with Liz finishing her set not long after.  
As the final cord left Liz's guitar the Audience once again erupted in applause as Serena with Aria by her side addressed all their fans around the world; "We hope you all enjoyed the show and we'll see you all next time goodnight Domino..." before exiting stage left with Aria and Liz in tow but as Serena walked off the stage she glanced up and saw Ash and Katie watching her from the V.I.P box acknowledging their presence with a smile before walking off the stage a disappearing from view with Liz and Aria the audience continuing to applaud all three of the performers as they did so.

The Following Morning:

As Sunlight entered her and Ash's bedroom Serena awoke to find Ash was already up and gone. It was also about this time Serena smelled food cooking and quickly got up herself changed into her normal attire and exited their bedroom to investigate. Once downstairs Serena entered the kitchen and saw Ash sitting at the table sipping a drink with a plate of food in front of him with another plate sitting on the table across from him as Pikachu ate his breakfast next to Ash on the floor. It was a sight that brought a smile to Serena's face as she told Ash good morning before taking a seat across from him and asked the raven haired trainer; "You made breakfast this morning!?" It was a question Ash answered with a nod before answering Serena with words; "Yeah; I figured you'd still be exhausted after the exhibition." After Ash explained himself Serena thanked Ash for the food before picking up a piece of toast from her plate and began to eat before the headline on the newspaper sitting next to Ash caught her attention. It was an image of Serena and Aria's show yesterday with the headline; "THE BIGGEST SHOWCASE EXHIBITION IN HISTORY BRINGS SMILES AROUND THE WORLD!" It was a pleasing sight to the honey blonde performer as Ash also informed her about the second headline and that was the fact that Liz was offered a record deal after her work on Serena's exhibition yesterday. News that pleased Serena even more but at the same time curiosity began to creep into her mind and the honey blonde performer couldn't help but ask "Where Katie had run off too?" A question Ash answered with a smile; "She said she was heading into town to work on her surprise for us with Lillie and Gladion and that she'd be back later!" However Ash's response didn't end the curiosity about what this so called surprise Katie was working on really was however; the young couple would learn soon enough.

A little While Later outside Ash and Serena's Home:

While waiting to learn what this big surprise of Katie's was Ash decided to go out and train with Pikachu and Lycanroc to help kill some time. Once outside Pikachu and Lycanroc wasted no time in getting to work throwing Thunderbolt attacks and Rock Throws at one another but unfortunately as is often the case Ash and his Pokemon lost track of time forcing Serena to come out and get them so they could make the trek out into Domino where Katie instructed them to meet them. After a few minutes of walking Ash and Serena along with Pikachu and Lycanroc found themselves in downtown Domino right in front of the Domino History Museum. Outside the museum was Katie sitting on the glisten white staircase leading inside next to Lillie and Gladion as Ash and Serena stared on in confusion. After a few minutes of awkward silence though Serena went ahead and asked Katie what; "she wanted to show us!?" confusion still the primary thought on the performers brain. However rather than answer Serena. Katie instructed Ash and Serena to follow her inside so that they could see for themselves. Before getting up and walking inside the Museum followed by Lillie and Gladion while ash and Serena shared a brief look at one another before climbing up the staircase to follow them with Lycanroc and Pikachu in tow.

Once inside Ash and Serena were greeted by an astonishing sight. Inside the museum Ash and Serena saw multiple glass cases with artifacts they faintly recognized along with paintings, maps and, most shockingly was the tapestry they remembered hanging in Katie's parents throne room in Tempalizin the tapestry depicting the likeness of Katie's mom and dad King Saito and Queen Elizabeth The King & Queen of the Dimensional Plain. While Ash and Serena looked on at awe at the tapestry Katie announced to Ash and Serena just what they were looking at the newest exhibit of The Domino City Museum called; "A Walk Through The Dimensional Plain!"  
"A Walk through the Dimensional Plain!" Which currently occupied three quarters of the Domino Museum was an impeccable depiction of The Dimensional Plain so much so it was overwhelming to the young couple as Katie escorted Ash and Serena through the exhibits. They were truly in awe as they passed Items they personally remembered when they themselves were walking through the lost world as its "stand in leaders" as well as objects Ash and Serena recognized through their connection to Saito and Elizabeth. However the most prominent items on display were ten statues that depicted the Ten Divine Dragons. The ones Ash and Serena helped make famous in this dimension. After a half an hour of walking through the exhibit Katie concluded her exclusive tour for Ash and Serena. It was then Katie, Lillie and, Gladion explained to Ash and Serena why they did all this and that's so that the people and culture of the Dimensional Plain would forever be remembered and since both worlds were connected by The Divine Dragons which Ash and Serena ruled it was only logical Domino would be the perfect place for this exhibit. Ash and Serena were truly touched and impressed with the actions and work of Katie the former princess truly had come a long way since the trauma of losing her home world was inflicted on her a sentiment the young couple shared with the former princess without hesitation. It was this praise from Ash and Serena that assured Katie she was doing the right thing and doing it well especially since Ash and Serena were now the closest thing to Parents and a family she had. After sharing their moment Katie requested Ash and Serena come to the opening of "A Walk Through The Dimensional Plain!" to the public as V.I.P guests tomorrow an offer Ash and Serena happily accepted but it was also at that moment Ash and Serena realized something almost simultaneously and that was Katie had just shared her parents story with them but they haven't shared their story with Katie yet. So after sharing a gaze at one another Ash and Serena offered to tell Katie their side of the story an offer Katie happily accepted as she had only heard bits of pieces of it and she did have several questions and, so with that decided Ash and Serena agreed to tell their story to Katie but once they got home as it was a long story. It was then Ash and Serena along with Katie left the museum to return home so Ash and Serena could share their story with Katie.

A Few Minutes Later:

After arriving at their home Ash, Serena and Katie walked inside and made their way to the parlor. Excitement filling the former princess's mind as she would finally get some questions about her "adopted parents" answered. Once they sat down and made themselves comfortable Ash and Serena began their story from the day they first met at the Pokemon summer camp hosted by professor oak in pallet. To their reuniting in Kalos and travels with Clemont and Bonnie to their first introduction to the Divine Dragons and the evil scientist Garmadon. Although Katie couldn't help but laugh when she heard Ash and Serena admit at first that they thought the Divine Dragons were an artificial creation of Garmadn rather than "Dimensional Gods." Something even Ash and Serena had to laugh at as they looked back on it before picking up their story once again this time talking about their adventure after Kalos travelling the world and along with the help of the Divine Dragons rose to the ranks of "world Champions" together and their occasional interactions with Katie's parents Saito and Elizabeth when they would get in over their heads which apparently happened more times than Ash or Serena cared to admit upon looking back at their adventures. The young couple then reflected on how they got to where they are now here in Domino fell in love with this city and settled down here to start their family while Ironically coming into control of The Domino Battle Coliseum that was originally built and operated by the evil scientist that plotted to Kill them numerous times; "Garmadon." with "Almost" no detail spared however out of embarrassment and not wanting to "scar" Katie's young mind Ash and Serena both left out some of the more intimate details of their journey together.

Overall it was a story that took several hours to tell but seemed almost like a "fairy tale" style romance story I'll be it with a few "minor differences"; two childhood friends who were separated then reunited on their respective journeys falling in love with one another on the way and while travelling make the decision to settle down and have a family together. Regardless of its "fairy tale style romance story" this one was Ash and Serena's story and these two childhood friends, this trainer and Performer, this husband and wife wouldn't have it any other way.

The End!?


End file.
